In Love With A Master
by BubbaDogSlaw
Summary: Anakin Skywalker is known as one of the Jedi who helped destroy the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. But what happens when Anakin falls in love with Master Shaak Ti? Requested and Co-Authored by Brandon66
1. Chapter 1

_Revised December 23, 2017_

 _Author's Note:_

 _Dear Readers,_

 _I have decided to postpone work on the latest chapter (Chapter 38), and instead begin reworking this story from the ground up. I have posted this reworked and revamped chapter 1, and I hope that everyone likes it. I realized that the story introduced Anakin's love for Shaak Ti too soon, and spoiled the "chase." Plus, I felt that everything was much too condensed and didn't flow very well. I am keeping the plot the same, although I will be severely lengthening the story, as well as making it flow better in terms of my writing style. I look forward to your feedback in the comments. I am not deleting the old chapters, but I will be slowly replacing them, so until I get more chapters out, everything will feel a bit disjointed. I appreciate your understanding and support, and I promise that I will use the ample free time I have between now and Jan. 1_ _st_ _to post many more reworked chapters!_

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter One**

One year had passed since the end of the Clone Wars. After three years of living hell, the galaxy was at peace once again. The leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) had surrendered at their base on Mustafar, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The corporations that had backed the Separatists were disbanded, and their assets absorbed into the Republic. All the worlds that had formerly pledged allegiance to the CIS were granted amnesty, and any remaining battle droids and battle droid factories were shut down, with the droids being melted down and repurposed en-masse.

# # #

As the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker had fulfilled the prophecy and brought balance to the force by exposing Chancellor Sheev Palpatine as the Sith lord Darth Sidious, and informing the Jedi Council of Palpatine's master plan to eliminate the Jedi through the Clone Wars and Order 66. He was aided by his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and his former Master and lifelong friend Obi Wan Kenobi. He had confronted the Chancellor with Masters Mace Windu and Shaak Ti, and my padawan Ahsoka, and ultimately killed Sidious, as he was declared "too dangerous to be left alive."

Anakin still remembered it as if it was yesterday. As he was thinking about the events that had transpired that day, Ahsoka approached him.

"Hey Skyguy! Are you alright?"

"Hey Snips, did I ever tell you about what happened after the Chancellor knocked you unconscious?"

"I don't believe so, Master," she replied.

"Well I think it's time that I filled you in on what you missed," he said as he began to fill in Ahsoka.

It went something like this:

Master Yoda, in the most serious tone he had ever heard from the aged Jedi Master, instructed them to confront the Chancellor in his office immediately and, if necessary, execute him.

"Masters, I have a speeder outside ready and waiting," Anakin said.

Master Windu turned to him, with a look of concern across his face. Anakin was amazed that he was able to make facial expressions at all, considering that he always seemed to have the same face of being emotionally detached from everything, and everyone, around him. He adopted a look of concern to match Windu's, instead of his normal method of dealing with tense situations by being lighthearted and carefree.

"Skywalker, do you think we can handle him with only four Jedi, or should I ask for reinforcements?"

"With all due respect Master, I think that the four of us can handle him; any more Jedi would simply get in the way and create confusion," Anakin responded.

With that, the four fully-robed Jedi made their way to the speeder as quickly as possible for a Jedi. As soon as they gotten both feet in the speeder, Anakin started the engines and took off at breakneck speed towards the Senate building.

After they had succeeded in most likely causing traffic accidents and headaches for the police, they landed at the closest place to their destination. They grabbed their robes, and proceeded to their final destination. They made their way to the Chancellor's office at walking speed, as opposed to the frantic run to the speeder in the Temple, in order to maintain calm and avoid suspicion.

Once they were standing outside the office doors, Master Windu made sure that everyone was clear on the plan.

"I will confront the Chancellor. I want you three ready to draw your lightsabers at a moment's notice, in case he tries anything. Stay on your guard, and don't let yourself be consumed by anger."

He opened the door, with Anakin, Shaak-Ti, and Ahsoka following behind him.

The Chancellor spun around in his chair, and addressed Master Windu.

"Master Windu. I take it that General Grievous has been destroyed, then? I must say that you are here sooner than expected."

Mace drew his lightsaber and activated it, with the other Jedi following suit.

"By order of the Galactic Senate," Master Windu said, "you are under arrest, Chancellor."

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"

"The Senate will decide your fate,"

"I AM THE SENATE," he growled.

"Not yet," said Master Windu.

Palpatine stood up, and a previously concealed lightsaber emerged into his hand.

"It's treason, then," he said as he activated his red lightsaber.

He leapt into the air, spinning as he hurled himself towards the group of Jedi. He began by focusing on his padawan, using his sith lightning to render her unconscious and cause her to collapse in a heap against the wall.

Anakin quickly glanced over at her, but soon returned his focus to the battle at hand.

 _I will check on her after we're done here._

Palpatine chose to attack Shaak Ti next, with each blow from his lightsaber accompanied by a counter-blow from the Jedi Master. Remembering that he had two other Jedi to deal with, Sidious used his force lightning to knock Master Windu unconscious as well, and using the force to fling him across the room like yesterday's trash.

With only Anakin and Shaak Ti left standing, it was up to them to fight the Sith Lord. Each blow from Sidious was matched by counterblows from the two Jedi, and his sith lightning was absorbed by one of their lightsabers. During the fighting, Shaak Ti's leg made contact with his lightsaber, causing her to fall to the floor. Palpatine used a force push to send her flying across the room.

"NOOOO!" Anakin yelled.

His anger boiled over, and he struck Palpatine as hard and fast as he could.

"Anakin my boy, think of all that we can accomplish together. We could bring peace to the galaxy!"

"I'll never join you!" he yelled in response, "The Jedi are my family, and I will fight to the death to protect them."

"I can bring back your mother."

 _My mother? What does he mean?_

This caused Anakin to lose my focus, allowing him to strike him with his lightning. He fell to the floor, dropping his lightsaber in the process. Palpatine used this opportunity to kick it away from him, and attacked the now defenseless Jedi with his lightning.

"Young fool. Only now at the end do you understand," he said to Anakin as he writhed on the floor in pain, "Now, suffer the consequences of your lack of vision."

"Now, young _Skywalker_ , you will die," he said, an evil grin emerging on his face.

Anakin was still on the floor, completely engulfed in the pain he felt. He thought it would never end.

Suddenly, the pain stopped, as if someone had unplugged the Chancellor. He looked up, and saw a blue lightsaber protruding from his attacker's chest, and saw the now limp body of Darth Sidious fall before him as he heard the sound of a lightsaber being sheathed.

Shaak Ti was standing over him, and he wasn't sure if she knew that he was conscious. She checked his pulse, and with a hand on each cheek, looked into his eyes and begged him to respond.

"Oh my Force Anakin, please say something, give me some sign that you are still in there!"

Not one to disappoint, Anakin looked up at her, and gently placed his hand on hers.

She immediately hugged him, crying onto his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and asked if he was injured.

"I've had worse, but I think I'll be alright," he said.

Master Windu and Ahsoka were still unconscious, so the two Jedi carried them to the speeder, and returned to the temple.

Later that day, after hearing the news, the Senate held an emergency election to find a new Chancellor. It was decided that the decision would be announced to the public by having the newly appointed Chancellor address the galaxy regarding what had happened. Not even the Jedi knew who it was until it appeared on the Holonet.

The Jedi Council, along with Anakin and a somewhat conscious Ahsoka, watched from the Council chambers as Senator - now Chancellor Amidala addressed the galaxy, including the worlds still loyal to the Separatists.

"Citizens of the Republic, It is my duty to inform you that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Sidious. It was he that started the Clone Wars, through manipulation of both sides, in an attempt to collapse the Republic and destroy the Jedi Order. Earlier today, four Jedi confronted and killed Darth Sidious, which I hope is the first step towards peace in the galaxy. To any worlds still loyal to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, I must inform you that you have been lied to - Count Dooku, who claimed to be your champion for freedom, and the corporations that supplied your battle droids, were pawns to Darth Sidious. As of the time of this broadcast, I have been chosen as the new Chancellor of the Republic. As Chancellor, I urge you to make peace with the republic and end this pointless war. Thank you."

Master Yoda was the first to speak.

"Sense, I do, that surrender, the Separatists will not. More time, it will take. Force a surrender, we will. Young Skywalker, congratulate you on behalf of the Jedi, I do. Restored balance to the force, you have. Master Kenobi, return to the Outer Rim with Anakin, you must."

Anakin bowed out of respect and left.

"And you woke up shortly after, Snips."

"Wow. I knew about what happened in the Council Chamber, but nobody ever told me that Master Ti saved your life."

"You're the first person that I've told besides Obi Wan."

"I'm glad that you trust me enough to tell me, Skyguy."

# # #

Six months after the death of Palpatine, and nothing had really changed for Anakin Skywalker. Life went on. The Separatists were still fighting the Republic, and although they had lost many worlds, they were still able to increase the death toll for the Republic daily.

Anakin was on mandatory leave from the front after almost six straight months of fighting. He knew he needed a break, so when he was ordered to return to the Temple, he didn't complain.

When he arrived back, he got a comm from Obi Wan telling him that the Council wanted a full debriefing on the fighting in the Outer Rim.

He arrived at the Council chambers, and gave the most thorough briefing of his life. He was about to leave, when Master Yoda told him to wait. Impatient and tired, he turned back around.

"Yes, Master Yoda?" he said.

"An important announcement, I must make. Concern all Jedi, it does."

He asked Master Windu to transcribe what he said, and turned to address the Council: "See the effects of this war on the Jedi, I do. Great pain and suffering, it has caused. To prevent further suffering, allow attachment for Jedi, I do. Free to love, they are."

Master Windu finished his transcription, and handed the pad to Yoda. With a tap of his finger, he sent the transcript of his announcement, as well as an audio recording of it, to everyone in the Jedi Order. Everyone present, including the usually expressionless Master Windu, were shocked. Nobody could find the words to express the disbelief they felt.

Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Anakin turned to his former Master and indicated that he wanted to leave. Obi Wan nodded in approval, and Anakin quickly exited the Council Chambers.

He was heading back to his quarters when he saw Shaak Ti. For months, he had been meaning to thank her for saving his life, but he hadn't gotten the opportunity. Now, however, he had a golden opportunity. He saw her in the hall and, without wasting any time, ran to catch up to her.

"Master Ti, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Absolutely, Master Skywalker."

He pulled her into the first empty room, with a look that she had come to know meant that he had something important to say.

"Master-," he said before she cut him off.

"Please, call me Shaak Ti."

"Shaak Ti," he said, testing the word as it left his lips, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I know there is no way words can repay you, but at least it's a start. And please, call me Anakin."

She giggled.

"It's ok _Anakin_ , you don't have to do anything to repay me."

"I do. I must repay you somehow."

"Well, since you're so set on expressing your gratitude, maybe you could help me with some training on Kamino? I'm supposed to leave tomorrow and spend a week there overseeing the training of new Clones. They are excellent soldiers, but the training process can be somewhat tiring at times. I could really use a hand."

Without hesitation, Anakin turned to her and said "I'd be more than happy to!"

"Great! I'll meet you at the hangar tomorrow."

With that, she turned around to leave, glancing back to look at him one more time before they parted ways.

As Anakin was walking back to his dorm, he saw a plethora of Jedi that had decided to make their previously secret relationships public, with some even kissing in the hallways. All of this reminded Anakin that he had been feeling rather lonely lately, especially when it came to finding love. He had tried in the past, but it never seemed to work.

 _I might have a chance now, what with the Council allowing attachment and relationships among Jedi._

He was determined to change his luck for the better.

# # #

I hope everyone enjoyed this! If you want to read some a story that focuses more on clones, I suggest taking a look at "Whatever Happened to Captain Rex?" by LongLiveTheClones.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note:_

 _I've been in a rather creative mood lately, so expect several rewritten chapters from now until New Years._

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Two**

Ahsoka was practicing her lightsaber skills in the Temple training room. She used her Jedi reflexes to anticipate her opponent's every move, and counter it with a flurry of quick strikes from her two lightsabers. She had frequently seen her master use rather elaborate moves when facing off in one-on-one combat, and she was trying to imitate him. She eventually bested her attacker by force-leaping over him, landing behind him and delivering the final blow. She deactivated her lightsabers, and shook his hand. She had to admit, despite the looks she was getting from some of the other Jedi in the room, she liked all the attention her flashy moves got her.

She was about to head to the cafeteria, when her communicator started beeping from her waist. Instinctively, she pulled it from its holster, and saw that her Master was calling.

"Yes, Master?"

"Hey Snips! Is this a bad time? I wanted to ask you something."

"What's up, Skyguy?"

He paused for a moment before speaking. Ahsoka waited patiently for her Master's response.

"Sorry, just had to check something. Master Ti has invited me to help her oversee training of new clones on Kamino. Would you be interested in joining us?"

"Absolutely Master! I know that we _just_ got back from deployment, but I'm getting kinda bored here without somebody trying to kill me every day."

"Great! We'll meet you on the _Resolute_ tomorrow, bright and early."

"Ok Master, I'll see you then!"

With that, she ended the call, and continued towards her original destination.

After she had finished lunch with Barriss and some of the other padawans, she decided to go see if she and her Master could go spend some time together.

As she approached the door to his quarters, she could hear something from behind the door. She knew he wouldn't mind her entering, so she opened the door.

She found him sitting on the couch with his head resting in his hands.

"Master?" she said, the concern apparent in her voice, "what's wrong?"

He removed his hands from his face, and she could see that he had been crying recently.

"Master?"

She had never seen her master cry before. Come to think of it, she had never seen _any_ Jedi cry. This must be serious.

She sat down next to him, and rubbed her hand on his back in small, reassuring circles.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just the remnants of that cold I got on our last mission before leave."

Ahsoka didn't buy it, but she also didn't want to push her master for answers when he clearly didn't want to share. So, she just stayed with him, rubbing his back, until he got up.

"Snips, why don't we go and grab some dinner at Dexter's with Obi Wan? I think he had a few stories he wanted to tell you that he's been saving for when we're on leave," he said with a grin.

Ahsoka didn't know what he meant by that, but thought that getting out and spending time with the closest thing he had to a brother might do him some good. She agreed, and Anakin asked Obi Wan if he was free.

"Master Yoda wants to talk with me, but once I'm done I'll meet you there. Plus, I don't trust you behind the wheel."

"Master, when have my piloting skills _ever_ steered us wrong?"

"Well, there was the time we crash landed a Separatist flagship near the spaceport not far from here, the time you crashed us on Felucia, the crash on Maridun… Should I continue?"

"No, Master, that's fine. Just for the record, I think that landing in Grievous' ship went rather well."

"Oh Anakin, always the optimist."

"I think you're just jealous of my piloting skills."

"You mean your acute ability to destroy our ships? Yes Anakin, I am _so_ jealous of that."

"Obi Wan-"

"Anakin, we can go on for days like this, so we'll agree to disagree and end this call, ok?"

"If you say so."

"I do say so. I'll see you soon."

Obi Wan ended the call, and Anakin went to grab his things. He told Ahsoka to do the same, and meet him at his speeder in the hangar. She watched him for a few moments, making sure that he was ok. Once she was satisfied, she quietly exited the room.

# # #

Ahsoka still wasn't sure what had made her Master so upset and caused him to cry, but she decided that he would talk to her if and when he was ready. She took a quick glance at her Jedi robes.

 _Why do I even have these, if I never wear them?_

She grabbed some credits (just in case), and made her way to the hangar.

When she arrived, she saw Anakin intently working on his speeder. He was lying on his back on a cart underneath, doing Force knows what.

He must have sensed my arrival, because before I had said anything to him, he was talking to me.

"Hey Snips, can you hand me the hydrospanner?"

I found the one he was looking for, and used the force to deliver it directly to his hand. He didn't ask for anything else, so I assumed that he was satisfied.

When he emerged, he was miraculously clean - normally he was covered in grease and grime.

"Ready to go, Skyguy?"

He nodded and hopped in the speeder, patting his hand on the seat next to him and waiting for me to do the same.

# # #

Once we were seated at Dexter's with Obi Wan, he began making some small talk.

"So Ahsoka, how was the ride here?"

"Surprisingly Master Obi Wan, Skyguy didn't have his normal air of recklessness when he was driving. I think this leave has calmed him down."

Obi Wan looked slightly taken aback.

"Anakin, is this true? Does leave after six months of fighting really improve your piloting skills?"

"Very funny," Anakin quipped, "but to be honest, I'm still kinda exhausted from the campaign."

Obi Wan and Ahsoka nodded in agreement.

Now it was Anakin's turn to ask a question.

"So Obi Wan, what are you doing to occupy your time while we're on leave?"

"To be honest, I've been filling my time meditating and Cody even convinced me to come watch a bolo game with him in a couple days."

"You, Bolo? I never would've guessed."

"Oh yes, it's quite an interesting sport once you learn the rules."

"Huh," Anakin replied, unsure of how to respond.

"What about you, Anakin?"

"Shaak Ti asked me to join her tomorrow while she oversees the training of new clones on Kamino. I asked if Ahsoka could come, and she seemed pretty excited by the idea. So, I guess that fills up my schedule for about the next week or so."

"Well congratulations, Anakin. What sparked Master Ti's sudden interest in you? I don't think I've seen you two work together very often."

"Well if you must know, she saved my life," Anakin said, switching to a more hushed tone, "while we were confronting Darth Sidious. If she hadn't stabbed him through the back, I'm sure that his Sith lightning would have killed me."

Obi Wan looked deeply concerned.

"Anakin, why didn't you tell me sooner that Shaak Ti saved your life? I think you left that part out when you told me about the incident."

"Master, I just didn't feel comfortable telling anyone, to be honest. Ahsoka was the first person I told, and that was only earlier today."

"I see. Knowing you, you probably offered to assist her in some way to repay her. She said she didn't need anything, but you insisted, so she decided to take you with her to Kamino. Correct?"

"Well I didn't insist… but otherwise, yeah. You know me too well, Obi Wan."

Obi Wan and Ahsoka started laughing, much to the confusion of Anakin.

"What's so funny?" Anakin asked them.

"I didn't think you'd admit that I was right so easily, that's all," he said, "You have really matured, Anakin."

Anakin accepted the comment politely, and looked around for their waiter. He was about to say something when the droid came over with their food.

"Here you go, sweethearts," it said with its metallic voice.

They were all so hungry that they didn't speak for most of the meal, each one devouring their food like it was their last meal.

At some point while they were eating, Obi Wan looked at Anakin as if he wanted to ask him something. Noticing the sudden eye contact, Anakin stopped eating as well and waited patiently for his former master to speak.

"Anakin, did you refer to Master Ti by her first name?"

"Why yes, Master. She asked me to address her that way. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Just interesting."

"I see."

With that, they continued eating.

After they were finished, they bid each other farewell, and returned to the Temple.

Ahsoka turned to her Master as they were heading back.

"Master, do you consider the Jedi to be your family?"

"Why of course, Ahsoka. Why do you ask?" 

"Just because you and Master Obi Wan seem to get along like brothers."

"Well, I've always considered him my brother. Even if we aren't related, he's the closest thing to family I have left."

They spent the rest of the ride in silence, each one surrounded by their own thoughts.

# # #

The next morning, Anakin woke up bright and early to get ready for his trip to Kamino. He made sure to bring his full robes, remembering something Obi Wan had once told him about the incessant rain on the planet.

He decided that he didn't want to appear overly eager in front of Master Ti, so he went to the cafeteria to get something to eat before he would meet her in the hangar.

As he was walking to get breakfast, his wrist-comm started beeping. It was Master Ti.

"Yes Mas- Shaak Ti?"

"Anakin, can I meet you in the hangar at 0900? I almost forgot that I have to discuss something with Master Yoda, and knowing him, it will not be quick."

"Absolutely Shaak Ti. I'll see you then."

"Great!" she said before ending the call.

 _That sounded rather enthusiastic._

Anakin finished his food, and went to the hangar to do some work on his starfighter. He had just received some new, advanced sensors from the Outer Rim, and he was eager to install them. He found them in a small box simply marked "SKYWALKER." He looked at his Chrono, and realized that he still had almost an hour before he was expected to meet Shaak Ti.

 _Well, this shouldn't be too difficult. At least I won't get dirty._

Anakin was lying on his back on a cart beneath his starfighter, intently focused on his work. He didn't hear Shaak Ti arrive, so he was a bit startled when he heard a woman's voice giggling. He decided to investigate, and as he was pushing himself out from under the ship, caught sight of red skin. It could only be one person.

He tried to quickly get up from under the ship, but in his haste instead banged his head on the underside of the starfighter with a loud bang. He didn't want to show any weakness, so he played it off and stood up to greet her.

"Shaak Ti! I didn't hear you come over."

"You looked so focused on your starfighter, that I didn't want to disturb you," she said, trying to hold back her laughter. She saw that the contact with the ship had left a small bump on his forehead, causing her to let out her laughter.

"Anakin, are you alright?" she said, still laughing.

Anakin was turning bright red.

"I'm ok. How are you?"

"Well I was great until you hit your head. Now, I'm even better because I can't stop laughing!"

"What's so funny?" Anakin asked, looking a bit hurt.

Shaak Ti, seeing that she had hurt his feelings, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Anakin, I'm not laughing because you hit your head - although I am very flattered that I have that effect on you," she said, "I'm laughing because I always thought Obi Wan was exaggerating about how much you enjoyed working on your ship."

The look of hurt washed away from Anakin's face, and he joined in her infectious laughter.

"I've loved working on ships since I was little."

"Well, you must tell me more on the way," she said, "Ahsoka's already waiting in the ship. Would you care to walk with me?"

Anakin nodded. He probably showed too much excitement, he thought to himself.

 _Oh well._

Anakin turned to R2D2 as the droid was carrying over a box of assorted tools.

"R2, can you finish up for me? I'll be back soon, I promise."

The droid let out a furious series of beeps and whistles.

"I am not just giving you my dirty work, R2! I have an important mission to go on, and I need these upgrades."

The droid didn't seem very happy with this answer.

"I know you think I'm taking you for granted, but I promise that I am not. Look, I'll make it up to you when I get back. How about I give you a nice, thorough cleaning, hmm? I know you haven't had one of those in a while."

R2 let out a series of high-pitched beeps.

"Alright, I promise. I'll see you when I get back."

The droid extended one of its arms to "wave" goodbye to its master. Anakin did the same, and walked with Shaak Ti.

"You can communicate with it, Anakin?"

"Yep. If you grew up around droids, it's not too hard to understand them."

"Well, you might have to teach me at some point," she said with a grin, "to repay me for saving your life and all."

He smiled.

"I'd be happy to, Shaak Ti."

# # #

They were aboard the _Twilight_ , and Ahsoka had decided to try and sleep on their way to Kamino. Shaak Ti and Anakin were sitting up front, engaged in a lively conversation about what they'd like to after the war.

"I have always wanted to go to the beach, but so far all the planets I've been deployed to have been seriously lacking in that department," she said to Anakin.

"I'd like that too. I know that the Council keeps saying that we are getting close to defeating the Separatists, but it doesn't feel that way. I know it's true, but sometimes I think this war will go on forever."

She nodded her head in agreement.

They were silent for a while, so Anakin decided to change the subject.

"How about I get us something to eat? I bet you're hungry."

"Yes please. I didn't even get a chance to eat breakfast this morning."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've offered sooner if I had known!"

"Anakin, it's quite alright."

"Hold on, I'll be right back with something good to eat."

She saw him go into the back, and waited patiently until she heard a commotion. She placed her hand nervously on her lightsaber, expecting the worst. Instead, what she heard almost made her fall out of her chair laughing.

"R2! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to finish working on the ship?"

She couldn't hear the droid, but she could guess what it was saying.

"Now, I'm going to make something to eat for Shaak Ti and I, so why don't you go talk to Ahsoka or something?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T TRUST ME IN THE KITCHEN? I know what happened last time, but I know not to make that mistake again.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR SUPERVISION WHILE I COOK, R2!"

Shaak Ti was dying of laughter.

"FINE, IF I'M SUCH A BAD COOK, WHY DON'T YOU MAKE A 5 STAR MEAL?"

He came back to the cabin to the sight of Shaak Ti still laughing on the floor.

"What's so funny?"

"You and your droid argue like an old married couple," she said between laughs, "and I love how it talks back to you!"

Anakin started laughing too.

"I've never thought of it like that before, but I guess you're right."

"So, what's the story behind your droid's lack of trust in your cooking abilities?"

"Well, that's an interesting story…"

She pulled herself closer, placing her elbows on her knees and resting her head in her hands.

"Do tell!"

"Alright then. Last time I tried cooking, Ashoka and I were on a long journey back from the outer rim, and we had managed to snag some prime beef on a refueling stop. I offered to cook, since this was before the Council created cooking classes for Jedi. So, Ahsoka has no idea how to cook, but I had learned (somewhat) when I was much younger. So, I tried making steak. I left it unattended too long, and by the time I smelled smoke and rushed back to the kitchen R2 was already using the fire extinguisher on the charred remains of the meat. R2 told me it was quite a fire. Since then, he doesn't' trust me within 10 parsecs of a kitchen."

She was doubling over laughing, and Anakin pulled himself closer to catch her before she face planted onto the floor. She ended up resting her head on his shoulder until she stopped laughing, finally pulling away when she had composed herself. Their eyes locked, and he saw a spark in her eye that he couldn't quite identify. They kept their gaze fixed, until she finally broke the connection.

"I think we'll be on Kamino in a matter of minutes. Should I get Ahsoka?" Anakin said.

"Probably. I wouldn't want her to miss anything."

# # #

I hope everyone enjoyed this!

P.S. I'm still finding my footing in this new writing style, so bear with me people.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Merry Christmas! As of the time I am posting this, it is still Christmas Eve, so consider this an early Christmas present. I hope everyone has a good holiday, and stays safe. I've been in a creative mood lately, so I'll most likely post a rewritten chapter once a day (at least). Thank you all for your support, I couldn't have done this without you. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night (for Anakin, at least)._

 _P.S. Happy belated Festivus for any Seinfeld fans out there._

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Three**

Anakin went to the back of the ship and found Ahsoka curled up under a blanket on one of the bunks. She looked so at peace that he almost felt bad about waking her up. _Almost_.

He pulled the blanket off up her in one fell swoop.

"Rise and shine Ahsoka!"

She was out cold.

He left the room, and linked his wrist comm to the ship's intercom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," he said, the humor apparent in his voice as his words boomed throughout the ship.

He could hear Shaak Ti dying of laughter again from the cabin.

"I'd like to welcome you to the _lovely_ planet of Kamino. Your weather today is rainy, with a weekly of rain, rain, and _even_ more rain."

He rushed back to the pilot's chair, sat down, and started pushing buttons before he hit a button on his wrist-comm and took the stick to steer the ship.

"Please keep all hands and feet inside the ship, we are making our final landing. Thank you for flying Skywalker-", he looked over and grinned at Shaak Ti, "Skywalker-Ti spacelines. We hope you enjoyed your trip, and hope you'll choose us again soon."

He thought Shaak Ti was going to fall out of her chair again, so he put his arms out to catch her. She put a hand over her mouth in a feeble attempt to hold back her laughter, but Anakin's outstretched arms only made her laugh harder. Once she had died down, Anakin returned his focus to landing the ship on the small platform.

Ahsoka had finally woken up, and didn't look too pleased about her Master's antics. SHe gave him a look that he knew meant she would be angry with him later. The _Twilight_ touched down, and Shaak Ti immediately got up and started walking to the landing ramp, followed by Ahsoka and Anakin.

They were greeted by a pair of clone troopers in the distinctive white and grey armor, indicating that they were Kamino security personnel. One of the Kaminoans, Lama Su, came out to greet them.

"Master Jedi, so pleased to see you," she said in a neutral tone.

The three fully robed Jedi bowed, and were led inside.

They shed their now-soaked robes, and handed them to a nearby trooper for safe-keeping. They were directed down what seemed like endless corridors and turns, until they stopped in front of a door.

"-and we hope to improve efficiency with the techniques I mentioned to you earlier."

Only Shaak Ti had been actually listening, but Anakin could tell that even _she_ was struggling to be polite and engaged in the conversation, if Lama Su's endless talking could be considered one.

The door opened with a hiss, and before them was an elaborate training ground, simulating a battlefield. He could see a squadron of clone cadets shooting at battle droids, yelling to each other and working as a team. He watched in fascination as he saw them perform some of the same maneuvers and tactics that his men in the 501st had done countless times. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Shaak Ti glancing over at him. She was smiling, and she had the same spark in her eye as before, although he still couldn't identify what it meant.

# # #

They had shared a meal with the other trainers, who Anakin had learned were bounty hunters. It was rather uneventful, as Anakin didn't care much about the finer details of clone training that Ahsoka and Shaak Ti seemed to find fascinating. He nodded his head at the right times, and occasionally interjected into the conversation to be polite.

After dinner, they were shown to their assigned quarters. Shaak Ti received her usual accommodations, while Anakin and Ahsoka were assigned to share a room. They had done it countless times before, so they didn't think much of it.

Once they had settled in to go to sleep, Anakin found himself feeling restless.

"Master, are you asleep?"

"No, Snips. What's up?"

"Have you noticed anything, uh, different, about how Master Ti?"

"What do you mean?"

She turned on the lights, and looked at him with a grin.

"I've seen the way she looks at you, and how you two act around each other." 

Anakin went silent, thinking about what his padawan had said.

Ahsoka saw that he seemed lost in thought, so she turned off the light and went to sleep. Anakin stayed in place, unmoving. He was locked in thought about what she had said to him. Eventually, he snapped out of it and got some sleep.

# # #

Throughout the following week, Anakin began to notice how Shaak Ti was looking at him. She would glance over at him and smile, or wave to him across the room. Occasionally, their eyes would lock for just a moment, and it was like nothing either of them had ever experienced. They couldn't explain it, and neither one could stop thinking about it.

Anakin, Ahsoka and Shaak Ti would talk together at meals, sharing stories and laughing _a lot_. Sometimes, Anakin and Shaak Ti would talk, just the two of them. They would talk until it was late, and they forced themselves to part company and get some sleep. Other times, she and Ahsoka would spend time together in her room after meals, talking about what Anakin could only guess. Probably something that only Togrutans would understand, he imagined.

Anakin enjoyed every moment of it.

He was almost sad to return to the Temple, since he feared he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with her.

At least it wasn't _always_ raining on Coruscant.

# # #

As the three Jedi began their journey back home on the _Twilight_ , Anakin and Shaak Ti continued to talk and laugh in the cabin, picking up right where they left off.

"-so he says to me, 'Anakin, this lightsaber is your life. Always hold onto it. Now, do you want me to fly us back to the Temple, or should I call a cab?', and I told him, 'I can fly us back, if you want.' He turned to me, dead serious, and said 'Anakin, when I want to crash yet _another_ speeder and cover for you, I'll tell you. Otherwise, I will not let you fly."

She burst out with laughter.

"Surely your piloting skills aren't that bad?" she said, struggling to form the words between her laughter.

"That's what I told Obi Wan, but he wouldn't accept it. I think he's just jealous that I'm a better pilot than him. What he neglects to mention is how many times my flying abilities actually _saved_ us."

They continued to laugh and talk about their lives, share stories, and he was continually worried that she would fall out of her chair again and he would have to catch her. At one point his suspicious were correct, and he caught her before she fell, resting her cheek against his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, as she felt so calm in his arms. She couldn't explain it, but it felt _right_. He looked down, and he thought she might be sleeping. He watched her chest slowly rise and fall, and felt her move ever so slightly as she breathed. It was an amazing feeling.

"Shaak Ti, there's something I need to tell you."

"Hmm?" she said as her eyes lazily opened.

"I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life. I don't know where I would be right now if you hadn't. Even if we had both lived, I don't know if we would have ever crossed paths."

She looked at him, her eyes wide open as she heard what he said. She just stared into his eyes, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, she moved her head up so her face was in front of his.

"Anakin, saving your life was the greatest thing I have ever done."

He wrapped her in his embrace, and let her head sink back onto his shoulder, her cheek resting on him. They stayed like that for a long time.

Eventually, she lifted herself up, pushing off his chest for support. He liked the feel of her hands on him, even if only a brief moment. He closed his eyes for just a second, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her before the inevitable moment when he knew they would separate.

"Sleep well?" he asked her.

" _Very_."

He looked at the star chart, and noticed that they were almost on Coruscant.

Shaak Ti got up, and pointed in the direction of the sleeping quarters. Anakin knew that she was going to check on Ahsoka, so he simply nodded in acknowledgement.

He pulled the ship out of hyperspace, and saw the flurry of traffic that always seemed to encircle the planet.

 _It's good to be back_.

# # #

In the temple, life returned to normal, if being on extended leave counted as normal. He and Shaak Ti hadn't seen each other much in the two days since they had returned, and Anakin was already starting to feel a bit lonely.

Obi Wan had invited him to get lunch at Dexter's, and there was no away Anakin could refuse his old Master. Their food arrived almost as soon as they sat down.

"I took the liberty of ordering ahead for us, since I already know what you eat here."

'You know me too well, Obi Wan," Anakin said, looking down at his food.

Obi Wan dug in to his meal. He stopped when he saw that Anakin hadn't touched his food.

"Anakin, what's wrong?", he said.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"If it was nothing, it wouldn't make you look this dejected. Tell me what's going on."

He described his trip to Kamino with Shaak Ti, not leaving out _any_ details.

"My my Anakin, it seems you have been busy. If it went so well, then what's wrong?"

Anakin looked up and met his gaze.

"I haven't seen her in a couple days,..."

"Well that's nothing to worry about, Anakin."

"...and I'm worried that what happened on that trip will stay on that trip."

Obi wan nodded in understanding. Then he started laughing.

Anakin looked hurt.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Anakin, you are overreacting. Go and spend time with her. Take her to dinner, maybe. If you have feelings for her, you don't have to hide them. The Jedi allowed attachment, remember?"

Anakin had a look of confidence on his face. He got up from the table, and started running out.

"Anakin, where are you going?"

It was too late. Anakin had made up his mind, and he knew what he had to do.

# # #

He made reservations at the nicest restaurant he could find. He had all of his clothes ironed and pressed. He bought flowers, and made sure he looked (and smelled) as nice as possible. He had even asked Obi Wan to come over and help him get ready.

"Anakin, I haven't seen you this excited since you were made a Jedi Knight. I understand that this is very exciting, but you don't want to scare her away by being _too_ excited. Here's my advice for you: you can be excited, but don't be absolutely giddy like you are right now. Sound good?"

Anakin nodded.

"Good. Now, let me take one last look at you."

He looked Anakin over from head to toe, and once he was satisfied, gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"You'll do great."

He activated his wrist-comm and called Shaak Ti, with Obi Wan standing behind him for support.

"Uh Yes, Master Yoda, I can come meditate with you! I'll be right there!"

Anakin and Obi Wan had to hold back a chuckle.

After a few minutes of hearing her walk through the halls of the Temple, she finally answered.

"Sorry for the confusion, Anakin. I'm glad you called when you did; Master Windu's 'quick talk' turned into a two hour patience test. What's up?"

Anakin looked back at Obi Wan, and cleared his throat.

"Shaak Ti, can I come talk to you for a minute?"

"Absolutely Anakin. Why don't you meet me in my quarters?"

"Great. I'll see you in a few."

"I'll be waiting," she said.

# # #

He was waiting at her door. He quickly ran over the plan in his head. He had made the reservations, and he had flowers in the speeder.

He knocked on the door.

It opened, and Shaak Ti appeared, looking more beautiful than ever.

"H-Hi Shaak T-Ti," he stammered, her beauty robbing him of his ability to speak.

"Is everything alright Anakin?" she said, sounding concerned.

Anakin recovered his confidence.

"I'm alright."

"Why don't you come in?" she said, turning around and waving for him to follow.

The door closed itself behind them, and she turned around to look at him.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Anakin paused for a moment.

"Shaak Ti," he said, grabbing her hand in his, "would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?"

She paused for a moment, and Anakin's heart sank.

"Anakin, I'd love to go to dinner with you. Can I meet you in an hour? I need some time to get ready."

He was overcome with joy, but he remembered his former Master's advice and contained his excitement.

"Of course. I'll pick you up."

"Alright, I'll see you then," she said.

She showed him out, and waved as he walked away. The door closed, and he ran all the way to Obi Wan's dorm.

He almost knocked down the door in his excitement.

"Yes, Anakin?"

"She said yes! She said yes!"

"Congratulations, Anakin! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your date?"

"She needed an hour to get ready. And, I needed a little help with my plan."

He got that look on his face that meant he was going to regret his next decision.

"Should I be concerned by this plan?"

"That depends. How do you feel about using force persuasion on a Jedi Master?"

He looked intrigued, and he started rubbing his chin.

"Tell me more about this plan."

# # #

Shaak Ti was looking through her closet, trying to find _something_ that would be appropriate. Suddenly, she felt inexplicably warm. She decided to go and open a window.

She opened it as wide as possible, then went back to looking through her closet.

Now for the second step of Anakin's plan.

He hopped in his speeder, and zoomed over to the other side of the Temple. He hovered in his speeder below her window, and waited for Obi Wan to use his force persuasion again to get her to come over to the window. Anakin got his cue, and pulled up the speeder to the window. He used the force to gentle break the window frame from the rest of the building, and gently placed it on her bed.

He reached out his hand to her.

"I told you I'd pick you up."

She grabbed his hand, and he lifted her into the passenger seat.

He didn't want to scare her with his driving, so he tried as hard as possible to drive like Obi Wan would.

When they arrived, he helped his date out of the speeder, and escorted her inside. The host took them to their seat, and handed them menus.

"Anakin," she said, resting her hand atop of his, "I'm impressed. This is one of the nicest restaurants on Coruscant. I've heard it's _extremely_ hard to get a reservation. How did you do it?"

"Dexter," he said.

"Excuse me?" Shaak Ti asked, looking perplexed.

"Dexter Jester. He knows all the restaurant owners on Coruscant, and he's a close friend of Obi Wan's. He did this as a personal favor for me, in exchange for tracking down an old friend of his."

She was at loss for words.

"A-Anakin," she said, "I-I don't know what to say."

"You went through all that trouble for me?" she said, pointing her finger at her chest.

"Absolutely. Only the finest for you, Shaak Ti."

She turned an even deeper shade of red.

 _I didn't know that was even possible. I guess she's blushing?_

"You know, you're beautiful when you're blushing."

She got even redder.

Anakin couldn't help but laugh.

She got a look of annoyance on her face.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Shaak Ti," he said, "you're cheeks got redder, and you became even more beautiful than I thought possible."

She slapped his hand.

"Now you're just teasing me!" she said, the annoyance in her voice apparent to Anakin.

He looked into her eyes, with a dead seriousness that made Shaak Ti stop blushing and meet his gaze.

He grabbed her hands.

"Shaak Ti, I'm being serious. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes upon."

She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and immediately lost any annoyance she had with him.

They were silent, each one lost in their own thoughts. After what seemed like an eternity, the waiter brought their food, and Anakin decided to make small talk while they ate. He signalled for the waiter to come closer, and pulled him in close enough to whisper.

"Please bring two glasses of your finest wine," he said, before discreetly slipping the waiter a few credits for his trouble.

"Right away sir," he said before rushing off.

"What was that about, Anakin?"

He had a mischievous grin on his face.

"I can't say, but I'm sure you'll love it."

They talked about the war, the Jedi, the Republic as a whole, and shared stories about the war. They had deep discussions about tactics, discussed the Jedi Code, the new Chancellor, and laughed over humorous stories Anakin told her about his escapades with Ahsoka and Obi Wan.

He thought the night was going rather well, and from what he could see, Shaak Ti thought so too. He had more fun that night than he had in a long time.

The waiter came back with the wine, and Shaak Ti had a look of surprise on her face.

"What was all the whispering about? You could've just asked for wine while he was taking our orders."

"Well, I didn't want anyone else to know that I ordered two glasses of their finest wine. Might make other people jealous."

She smiled and took a sip.

"This is excellent! I'm no connoisseur, but I can tell this is good wine."

They continued their conversation, both taking small sips of wine in between sentences.

When the waiter finally brought the check, he told him to bill it to the Republic, before taking his date's hand and walking her out.

They got to the platform, and the valet brought their speeder. As they were walking towards it, Shaak Ti lost her balance. Anakin quickly caught her, and carried her in his arms the rest of the way to the speeder. He gently placed her down on the passenger side, and took his seat.

"Anakin?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not used to drinking wine. Come to think of it, I've only had _alcohol_ once before."

"That would explain the sudden loss of balance…"

She slapped his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

She pulled him in close, and looked him right in the eyes.

"I have _excellent_ balance, thank you very much," she said before they both burst out laughing.

He took her back to her dorm window, and helped her inside.

"I had a great time tonight, Anakin."

"As did I."

"Although…"

Anakin suddenly looked concerned.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"What about my window?"

"Well, I guess I'll just have to come over again another time to fix it. Who knows? Maybe I'll see about getting a balcony installed."

She giggled.

"Well I think I'll be fine tonight, but I really would like that window fixed. Maybe you can help me with that tomorrow?"

"That depends. Will I get to see you out and about in that lovely red dress again?"

She shook her head and started laughing.

"My instincts tell me you will, but I guess you'll have to come and see for yourself tomorrow."

"I look forward to it. Would you like to grab breakfast together tomorrow?"

"I'd like that, Anakin."

With that, his speeder pulled away before going straight up and over the Jedi Temple.

" _He's definitely a charmer, I'll give him that,_ " Shaak Ti thought to herself, " _I just hope we feel the same way about each other."_

# # #

Chapter 4

Anakin arrived back at his dorm later that night looking absolutely giddy. Ahsoka could hear him charge inside, and decided to go talk to him before he broke something or injured himself.

When she found him in the kitchen, he was practically jumping for joy.

"Uh, Master? Are you ok?"

"Oh, Hey Snips. Yeah, I'm fine. Just happy."

"May I ask what has you so excited?"

He paused for a second, as if carefully choosing his next words.

"Well, Ahsoka," he said, "I just back from a wonderful evening out with Shaak Ti."

"Congratulations, Master! I'm assuming you noticed how she was looking at you on Kamino?"

"Oh yeah. As soon as you pointed it out, it was hard not to notice it like, all the time."

She smiled.

"Well Master, I'm glad. You two seem like a good fit for each other."

"I'm glad you think so, Snips. Now, I need to talk to Obi Wan real quick, so I'll be right back. We can talk more when I'm done."

He went to another room, and Ahsoka was left standing there, thinking about her Master and Shaak Ti.

# # #

Anakin activated his wrist-comm and called Obi Wan.

"Anakin? How did it go?" 

"Our plan worked perfectly. Even better, she wants me to come back over and help her fix the window tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Obi Wan." 

"Now, give me the details."

Anakin gave an in-depth description of the night, making sure not to leave anything out. Obi Wan seemed very impressed.

"I taught you well, my former apprentice."

"I really hope this becomes a regular occurrence. I haven't been this happy in a long time."

# # #

Ahsoka was sitting the table, patiently waiting for her Master to return.

He sat down next to her, and she gave him an all too familiar look.

"Give me the details," she said.

Anakin repeated what he had told Obi Wan, and Ahsoka's eyes lit up.

"Master, I didn't know you had such a natural talent for these things!"

"Neither did I."

"Is that the reason you're so happy, Master?"

"Yep. Shaak Ti has made me happier than I've been in a very long time.

She smiled, and got up from the table.

"Well, I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Master."

She left, and Anakin was left sitting alone at the table, thinking about the source of his happiness.

 _I cannot believe how lucky I am. I hope she feels the same way about me._

# # #

 _I hope you enjoyed this, because I certainly did._


	4. Chapter 4

_Revised 29 December 2017_

 _Author's Note: Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a couple days, I was spending time with family for Christmas. Expect more chapters to come in the next few days! Today you're lucky, since I'm posting chapter 5 as well! Enjoy!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Four**

The next day, Anakin woke up early to work out and spar with Obi Wan and Ahsoka. He planned on working up a sweat before he had breakfast with Shaak Ti.

He and Ahsoka ran into Obi Wan, so the three of them went together to the training room.

"I can't wait to practice some new maneuvers on you two, Masters."

Ahsoka and Anakin started by facing off against Obi Wan. Ahsoka activated her twin lightsabers, and Anakin his.

Ahsoka started by launching a flurry of quick strikes with her lightsabers, followed by a jumping attack from Anakin. Obi Wan expertly deflected Ahsoka's attack, and dodged Anakin's. He force-pushed Ahsoka away, and stood behind Anakin, his blade inches away from the back of his former apprentice's skull.

"Are we done here, Anakin?"

Anakin nodded.

Obi Wan deactivated his lightsaber, and turned Anakin around to face him.

"You did well, Anakin, but you were too quick to rush into things. You have to see beyond what your eyes tell you, and anticipate your opponent's moves."

The next match was Anakin against Ahsoka, while Obi Wan watched.

Anakin was blocking Ahsoka's strikes, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Shaak Ti walk into the training room. Distracted by her beauty, Ahsoka pinned him to the floor.

"Now you're just letting me win, Master."

He didn't respond, still too focused on Shaak Ti.

Ahsoka slapped him a few times, and he remembered where he was. He got up, and congratulated Ahsoka on winning.

"You're congratulating me, Master?"

She put a hand on his forehead.

"Are you feeling ill?"

Obi Wan started laughing.

"I agree with her, Anakin. When have you ever accepted defeat so easily?"

He nodded politely while Obi Wan spoke, waiting for him to finish.

"If you two will excuse me, I have to go take care of something," he said before abruptly leaving.

Ahsoka and Obi Wan looked at each other, as if asking what that was all about.

Anakin walked over to Shaak Ti while she was practicing her lightsaber skills on a training dummy, not noticing him walk over.

He waited patiently for her to finish, and almost had his arm taken off when she turned around.

"Anakin," she said, panting, "don't do that! You scared me!"

She slapped his arm.

"I thought you'd be happier to see me," he said, letting out a chuckle.

"I am very happy to see you. I can only practice so much on a dummy, so how about we go a few rounds?"

Anakin's eyes lit up.

"Are you sure you want to be defeated?"

"You have no idea what you're going up against."

She took off her skirt to reveal form-fitting workout pants, and assumed a fighting stance. They began their duel, with each one anticipating the other's moves. Anakin blocked her strikes, and Shaak Ti dodged his. Ahsoka and Obi Wan came over to watch.

"My my, Ahsoka, they seem to be rather evenly matched," he said, stroking his chin.

"I agree. They seem to be a very good fit for each other."

Obi Wan senses a deeper meaning, but didn't press further.

Anakin won the first round, although Shaak Ti had picked up on some of the nuances of his combat style.

She started by letting Anakin charge at her and dodging, then getting behind him and holding him at the point of her lightsaber.

"Looks like I've won this round, Ani."

Anakin spun around and deactivated his lightsaber.

 _Ani?_

They took a few steps back from each other, and activated their lightsabers for round three.

Anakin launched a jump attack that he had seen Sidious perform, catching Shaak Ti by surprise. She quickly recovered, and used the force to push him back, before leaping on top of him. He was lying on the floor, and she was straddling him, her lightsaber inches away from his throat.

"I think I've won this one for sure."

He nodded, and she helped him up.

Ahsoka and Obi Wan started clapping.

They hadn't realized they had an audience.

They both looked a bit embarrassed, so Shaak ti quickly gathered her robes and left the training room. Anakin followed suit, probably headed back to his dorm.

Anakin arrived in his room, and took a quick shower before changing into his normal attire. He left his robes behind, and walked casually to the cafeteria.

They met in the cafeteria, and sat down across from each other. They talked while they ate, laughing about their duel just minutes before.

# # #

Anakin spent most of his day working on his starfighter and the _Twilight_ , installing new weapons, navigation systems, and engine upgrades. He had convinced Ahsoka to come along, since the Council had granted her a new starfighter anyways. He promised to help upgrade hers, if she assisted him with the _Twilight_. She agreed, and they worked on it until lunch.

R2 would fetch them tools, while Anakin was busy lying on his back underneath the Twilight and Ahsoka was in the cockpit.

"Alright Snips, try it now!"

"Ok!" she yelled from the cockpit.

The hangar was filled with the sound of the engine starting up, and it seemed that Anakin's new modifications were working. Just as quickly as Anakin got his hopes up that the engines would work, the whirring stopped and a plume of black smoke came out the exhaust port.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get the engines working, they decided to refocus their attention on improving the weapon systems. It only took them two tries to get them operational, and they both sighed in relief. At least something was going right, Anakin thought to himself.

After several more hours of constantly tweaking the _Twilight_ 's systems, the pair of Jedi-turned mechanics decided to call it a day. Anakin looked down at his chrono, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Master, are you ok?" Ahsoka asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine Snips. I just need to, uh, get back to our dorm ASAP," he said, bolting out of the hangar.

Ahsoka had no idea what he was talking about, but decided to leave him be.

# # #

Anakin took the quickest shower of his life, being completely clean in under two minutes. He threw on his clothes, checked his hair, and waited for Shaak Ti to arrive. He stood waiting by the door for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes. He kept nervously glancing at his chrono. He knew his worry was irrational, but it didn't make him feel any better. He was relieved to hear a knock at the door.

 _Act cool, Skywalker._

He answered the door, and showed his guest inside. They sat down together on the couch, and handed her the remote.

"Why are you giving me this," she asked, looking quite confused.

"Lady's choice," he said simply, turning to smile at her.

She returned the favor, and started looking through the Holo-guide. Once she had decided on a movie, she handed the remote back to Anakin. She pulled herself closer to him, and leaned her head on his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arm around her, keeping her as close as possible.

She had chosen a chick-flick, something that Anakin wouldn't normally watch. Despite his preference for action movies, he had to admit that it had an interesting plot. He could've done without what seemed like a kiss scene every five minutes, but otherwise found himself enjoying the movie.

The plot revolved around two warriors, one male and the other female. The female warrior was, well, _feminine_ , but also strong. The male warrior was strong and masculine, with a muscly body and very macho hair. The two warriors had been asked to defeat a great evil that was threatening their town: a great warrior. The two fought bravely against the evil warrior, and in the ensuing fight, the male warrior was almost killed. She came to the rescue, decapitating their foe. The rest of the movie was a love story, as the two warriors grew closer to each other, culminating in their marriage.

Anakin was a bit confused as to why Shaak Ti would pick the movie, considering what they had been through. He shrugged it off, and continued watching.

At some point, Anakin got a bit bored with all the lovey-dovey stuff, and focused instead on the steady rhythm of Shaak Ti's breathing against his body. Anakin loved how it felt.

He was almost disappointed when the movie was over, wishing that she would stay curled up on him forever. She stayed next to him for a few minutes longer, before finally sitting up.

"That was a great movie, don't you think, Ani?"

Anakin didn't pay much attention to her new nickname for him. She stood up, and Anakin helped her towards the door.

She turned to face him. "Anakin, I had a great time tonight."

"I did too," he said, stroking her montrals, "maybe we can make this a regular thing?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment.

"Well, I guess that would work, but I don't want to just keep coming over here. Maybe we could meet at my place sometime?"

His eyes lit up. "Sounds wonderful."

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

She waved goodbye one last time before the door closed, and Anakin was left standing by the door. He stayed there for a minute, preferring to be alone with his thoughts.

 _Ani?_

# # #

Anakin and Shaak Ti spent much more time together over the following week, with the majority of his nights spent either at his dorm with Shaak Ti for movie night, at her place for the same thing, or out to dinner one night. On the last night of the week, Shaak Ti told him that she had been called to meet with good friend of hers in the senate, and that she wouldn't be back until the next morning. Anakin inquired as to who it might be, and she told him that it was Senator Mon Mothma. Anakin was relieved, having been half-expecting it to be another man.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

She ended the call, and Anakin decided to spend some time with his padawan.

They had dinner in their dorm. Ahsoka cooked, and Anakin helped her in the kitchen. They spent about half an hour preparing the meal, each one carefully making sure not to repeat the incident aboard the _Twilight_.

When dinner was ready, the two of them sat down to relax for a minute while it cooled. They sat at the table, and were rewarded with the fruits of their labor.

"This tastes amazing, Snips," Anakin said in between bites.

"This is your's too, Skyguy."

He nodded, and resumed eating.

Ahsoka wiped her mouth delicately with her napkin. "So, Master," she said, "did you notice anything your girlfriend in the training room the other day?"

"First of all, she is _not_ my girlfriend, Ahsoka. Second, what do you mean?"

"You two have spent so much time together this past week that I thought you were dating. Sorry for assuming," she said, raising her hands above her head in a mock surrender.

"What I meant, by the way, was how she called you _Ani_. Did you notice?"

Anakin thought back to the duel with Shaak Ti.

"Huh. I guess it didn't even register. Now that you mentioned it, I'm pretty sure she called me that the first night she came over here to watch a movie, if I recall correctly."

"Master, she must feel pretty comfortable around you to give you a nickname like that. Maybe you should take things to the next level?"

"What do you mean, Snips?"

"Ask her to be your girlfriend, of course!"

"Ahsoka, you're a genius. I'll ask her tomorrow over dinner."

She smiled at him, and looked down at her chrono.

"It's not too late now, Master. We can go make the reservations now, if you want."

"Sounds good. I know just the place."

# # #

When Shaak Ti arrived back at the Temple, she was exhausted. She and Senator Motha had stayed up all night discussing politics and the war, and she had to leave early to beat traffic. She went to her dorm, and decided to take a nice, hot bubble bath. While she waited for the tub to fill, she started getting undressed.

She carefully lowered herself into the tub, letting all the exhaustion and soreness of the previous day melt away.

She let her mind wander, thinking about everything from the goings of the war to the ad she saw for lingerie recently. She felt her muscles begin to unwind, the knots that had formed beginning to untangle. She rubbed the sorespots on her thighs, loosening up the muscles and immediately making her feel better. Her entire thighs were sore, so she rubbed all over. As she massaged her sore muscles, her thoughts drifted towards Anakin. She was massaging the innermost part of her thighs, when her hands discovered her opening. As if with a mind of their own, one hand was rubbing her clit, and the other massaging her nipple.

She imagined them making love, with Anakin holding her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, as their bodies joined. Their lips met, and they were locked in a sensual kiss. His hips bucked as he rammed in and out, his hands caressing her soft ass. Her hands were busily playing with her nipples, adding to the symphony of pleasure. She could feel the tip of Anakin's manhood in her stomach, bringing her closer to release. When she was past the breaking point of orgasm, their bodies tightened and released in unison. He continued to piston in and out for a little longer, before he laid down on the bed, their bodies still interlocked. She lay on top of him, his manhood still inside her.

She opened her eyes, and realized that she was close to release. Her hand switched from her nipple to her lekku, until her entire body tightened as waves of pleasure washed over her. She rested her head on the back of the tub, feeling satisfied and relaxed.

# # #

Anakin remembered that Shaak Ti had told him that she was free the rest of the day after she returned from the Senate, so he knew she wouldn't mind if he surprised her with dinner reservations. He got dressed, and went to Shaak Ti's dorm. He knocked on the door, and was greeted by a surprised face of the occupant. She looked at Anakin for a moment, trying to figure out his intent.

"I thought you liked visiting me through a hole in the wall," she said, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"Well, I thought this would be a nice change of pace."

"Are you free?"

She nodded.

"Would you care for dinner, my treat?"

"That sounds wonderful, Anakin. Why don't you come in for a moment."

He stepped inside with her, and she pointed to the couch. "Can you wait here for a moment, while I get changed?"

He nodded, and she went to her bedroom. He stayed on the couch, patiently waiting like a dog waits for its master.

After only a few minutes, he was rewarded by the sight of Shaak Ti. She was wearing a flowing, backless cherry red dress, with two thin straps forming an "x" across her upper back. The cleavage of the dress was rather low, forming a v-shape that extended to mid-breast. She was wearing red high-heels to match. The dress extended well past her ankle, spreading in a small circle around her feet. There was an opening on the side of the skirt, allowing her bare leg to be exposed, her radiant red skin complimenting the dress well. She spun around, the dress floating at ankle-height.

Anakin struggled to close his jaw. He was uncharacteristically tongue-tied.

"Well, how do I look?" she asked, twirling around one more time.

He took a moment to speak, contemplating the perfect words.

"More beautiful than the setting suns on Tatooine," he said.

She smiled.

"Tatooine? I've never been there. What's it like?"

"It's nothing worth seeing, but if you're really interested, I can show you sometime."

"I'd like that."

"If you'll follow me," he said, "your chariot awaits."

# # #

They arrived at Aldera, a restaurant that served fine Alderaani cuisine. He walked her inside, their fingers interlocked with arms at their sides. The hostess showed them to a table, and they sat down. In seconds, a waiter had seemingly materialized at their table. He went to fetch their drinks, and the two Jedi were alone again. They talked for awhile, until the waiter returned with two glasses of champagne.

"Enjoy," he said with a bow.

Anakin shook his hand and slipped his some credits, before the waiter left.

They talked for a few more minutes before the waiter took their orders, and they finally had uninterrupted time to speak.

When their food arrived, they continued to talk in between bites, with Shaak Ti taking care not to spill on her dress.

As soon as they had finished their dinner, the waiter swooped in and took their plates, delivering two more glasses of champagne. They were astonished by the waiter's speed and precision.

"Anakin, please make sure to tip handsomely," she said.

He nodded.

They took a couple of sips of champagne, each savoring the flavor in their mouths. Anakin put down his glass, held Shaak Ti's hands, and looked her in the eyes.

"Shaak Ti, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for awhile," he said.

She adopted a look of concern. "What is it? Is everything alright?"

He nodded. "Everything's fine, it's nothing bad. Trust me."

"Shaak Ti," he said, pausing for a moment, "will you be my girlfriend?"

She struggled to contain her excitement when she half-yelled "Yes!"

She squeezed his hands tighter, before Anakin motioned with his finger for her to wait a moment. He took out more than enough credits, placed them on the table, and stood up, taking her hands and helping her stand. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist. They stood like that for a moment, before he took her hand and led her back to the speeder. Their evening was going amazingly well, and it was far from over.

# # #

Anakin and Shaak Ti had gone back to their dorms to change, and agreed to meet at her place.

"Anakin?"

"Yes, Shaak Ti?"

"Can we meet at your dorm?"

"I eagerly await your arrival," he said.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, he heard a knock at the door. He rushed to answer, and showed his guest inside. She sat down next to him on the couch, and snuggled up next to him before putting on a movie.

# # #

Ahsoka had been spending time with Master Obi Wan, since Anakin and Shaak Ti were together so often. She didn't want to intrude, and she saw how happy her Master always was after spending time with Master Ti. When she arrived back at her dorm later that day, she was surprised to find Shaak Ti and her Master in her dorm.

"Master? I thought you were going to be at Master Ti's dorm tonight?"

"We were, Ahsoka, but Shaak Ti asked if we could watch a movie here tonight instead."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Ahsoka, would you like to join us?" Shaak Ti asked.

"You don't have to ask me twice," she said, before leaping on the couch and sitting next to her Master. She curled up next to him, getting comfortable while he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

When they finished the movie, Anakin could tell Ahsoka had something on her mind.

"Are you alright, Snips?"

"Fine, Master. I was just wondering… since you two spend so much time together, does this mean that you're dating?"

"Yes, it does Snips. I asked her earlier this evening to official, and she agreed to put up with me."

"I didn't say I was going to put up with you!" she said, slapping him on the arm. "I was so happy when you asked me, Ani. I hope I expressed that."

He looked at her. "You did. No worries there."

She smiled at him, and returned her focus to Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka, would you like to come with us some time? I think we'd both really enjoy your company."

She nodded eagerly.

"Masters, I'd be thrilled to spend time with you!"

"Ahsoka, you can just call me Shaak Ti. No need for formalities."

"Ok Shaak Ti," she said, testing how the words sounded as they left her lips.

"And when we're not in front of the Jedi Council, you can just call me Anakin."

She nodded.

"Well Anakin, it's getting late, so I'll let you get some sleep tonight. Catch you tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Ahsoka, will you join us for breakfast?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Skyguy!"

# # #

The next day the three of them ate breakfast together, discussing their plans for the day. Anakin was going to work on his ship with R2, and the girls were going shopping. They ate a quick breakfast, since they all were eager to get a head start on their plans.

Anakin called in one of the clone mechanics from the 501st that was on medical leave to assist him with the _Twilight_ 's engine modifications. They worked for hours on it, before the mechanic finally got it to run smoothly.

"All good, sir! Give it a go!"

Anakin fired up the engines, and they roared to life. Both men cheered, and R2 cleaned up some of the soot from the engine test.

# # #

Shaak Ti and Ahsoka went to some of the nicer clothing stores in the capital district, looking for dresses and such. Finally, they arrived at the store where Shaak Ti had bought both of her red dresses.

They browsed the displays, until Ahsoka came back with a blue dress. It was strapless, backless, and cut off around mid-thigh.

"What do you think?" she said, holding it against her body.

Shaak Ti nodded in approval.

"I think blue is your color - it really goes well your lekku."

She went off looking for matching shoes, and Shaak Ti continued perusing the store. Finally she settled upon a dress similar to Ahsoka's, although with a much less revealing neckline and a skirt that reached just above her knees. She got a pair of matching red strapless heels, and went to the register. Ahsoka followed, and after they bought their new dresses, went to other stores to look for more casual attire.

# # #

After a long day of shopping and working on starships, the three Jedi reconvened in Anakin and Ahsoka's dorm. The girls showed Anakin their new dresses.

Shaak Ti went first, gracefully walking around the room like a model. Anakin's jaw dropped, and she laughed.

"That good, huh?"

"Y-yeah Shaak T-Ti, you look g-great," he said, the words stumbling out of his mouth.

Ahsoka was next, and Anakin couldn't help but think about the day he met his padawan, and how much she had grown since then. She was a woman now, and Anakin couldn't deny it to himself any longer.

Ahsoka turned around, then faced her Master.

"You like it?"

"Ahsoka, you're a woman now," he said, "I can't believe how much you've grown up since we first met."

She blushed. "Awww Master! I've never seen this sweet, sentimental side of you."

"And you won't see it for a long time," he said, trying to regain his aura of masculinity.

The girls changed into their new lounge clothes, both entering the room in sweat pants and tank tops.

They sat down together on the couch, and put on a movie. Shaak Ti fell asleep curled up next to him, while Ahsoka yawned and tried to avoid the same fate. He was tired as well, but he didn't want to give up the sight of having his _girlfriend_ sleeping peacefully curled up next to him.

# # #

Over the next few months, the war halted to a stalemate. Both sides pressed for a truce, so a fragile ceasefire was drawn up and signed by leaders of both factions. Everybody knew the peace was temporary, and it was only a matter of time before something sparked renewed hostilities. The war was going well for the Republic, but as they had pushed deeper into the Outer Rim, they met stiffer resistance and greater numbers of battle droids.

# # #

It had been a month since Ahsoka and Shaak Ti had gone shopping, and the three had been spending most of their time together, with the occasional appearance from Obi Wan. Shaak Ti and Anakin had grown much closer, and Ahsoka could tell that something wonderful was brewing.

Anakin decided to spice up date night, so he talked to his old friend Chancellor Amidala and secured two seats for the Mon Calamari Ballet's performance of _Squid Lake_ at Galaxies Opera House. He wanted to surprise Shaak Ti, so he told her that they were going back to Aldea for dinner.

He knocked on the door, wearing his finest tuxedo.

"One moment, Anakin!"

She opened the door, revealing her strapless red Opera dress.

"What do you think? Suitable for an opera?"

"Who told you?" he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

She put a hand on his cheek, rubbing it slowly up and down to calm him.

"Chancellor Amidala told me, since I needed to buy a dress for the occasion."

"I see. I'm glad it worked out, but I really need to have a talk with her about the meaning of 'secret.'"

Shaak Ti laughed, and locked arms with Anakin. They took a limousine speeder to the show.

"Anakin, you cease to impress," she said in awe, "How did you manage all this?"

"I had Padme pull a few strings for me. We go _way_ back."

She frowned. "Padme?" she asked, sounding hurt.

Anakin panicked. "We've known each other since we were kids. Nothing's going on there, I promise."

She lightly slapped his arm. "I know, I'm just teasing you. I had you going there, didn't I?"

He joined in her laughter, as she explained that Padme had already explained her relationship to Anakin.

"She didn't tell me very much, but reassured me that there is nothing between you. I'm curious though… she mentioned someone named Watto. Who is that?"

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. It's a long story, so I'll tell you another time."

She nodded, and a valet came to open their door.

"Right this way, please. Up the stairs, to the left. Show the attendant your tickets, and someone will take you to your seats."

Once they were seated, they stared in awe at the display before them. It was truly breathtaking.

About halfway through the performance, Anakin gently placed his hand atop hers. She turned to face him.

"Shaak Ti, I need to tell you something."

She shifted in her seat to face him.

"You are the most incredible girlfriend I could have ever hoped for, and I couldn't see myself with anybody else. I love you, Shaak Ti."

She squealed in excitement, before wrapping him in her arms. "I love you too! I've been waiting for you to tell me!"

"I was just waiting for the perfect moment."

"Well, I think I can make this moment even more perfect," she said, wrapping her arms around his head before pulling him in for a kiss.

Their lips met, and Anakin felt a tingle through his body. Her tongue began gently exploring the inside of his mouth, and he followed suit. They stayed locked in their kiss for what seemed like an eternity, until she finally pulled away.

"Ani, I've been wanting this for a _very_ long time."

# # #

 _I hope you enjoyed this, because I definitely did. Please review! I value your feedback, because it lets me make this story even better for you guys, the readers._


	5. Chapter 5

_Revised 2 January 2018_

 _Edit: Fixed a potential plot hole with Obi Wan's whereabouts during the battle with Death Watch._

 _Author's note: You got two chapters today! Lucky you!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Five**

Shaak Ti awoke early the next morning, the faint taste of Anakin still on her lips. She rubbed her eyes, and looked at her chrono.

 _I woke up this early?_

Her communicator started beeping, so she lazily grabbed it from the nigthstand.

"Yes?" she said with a yawn.

"Master Ti, report to the Council chambers for an emergency meeting at once. Windu out."

It took a moment for her brain to process what she heard, until it dawned on her that she had to hurry. She flung herself out of bed, took the quickest sonic shower possible, got dressed, and walked as quickly as possible to the Council chambers.

When she arrived, she took her normal seat. Master Kenobi was the member last to arrive, followed by Anakin and Ahsoka.

"If we are all here, we can begin," Master Windu said.

" _I hope this is over soon, so I can see my Ani_ ," she thought.

Master Windu raised a hand to call for silence before he spoke.

"Master Yoda," he began, "we have received an urgent message from Mandalore. We have been informed that a terrorist group known as "Death Watch" has been fighting against Duchess Satine and the government in an attempt to take control of the planet. She has asked for a detachment of Jedi to deal with this threat."

All eyes turned to Master Yoda, eagerly awaiting his take on the issue.

"In danger, Mandalore is. Powerful, Death Watch has become. If not stopped, a threat to all, they will become. Send Jedi, we must."

"Who should we send?" Master Plo asked.

"Send Skywalker and his Padawan, we must. Accompany them, Master Kenobi will. Fought them before, they have. Leave tomorrow, they must."

The Council almost unanimously agreed. Shaak Ti was the only vote against.

"Hesitations you have, Master Ti?"

"Masters, I wish to go as well. I will… keep an eye on what happens and report my findings."

"Very good, Master Ti," Master Windu said.

After another three hours of discussing Jedi affairs, she was finally free to leave.

She hurried out, and hopped on her speeder. She went to the shopping district, to a place Padme had shown her once…

She looked around, inspecting everything. Finally, a female employee approached her. "Greetins, ma'am, is there anything specific you're looking for today?"

"Yes, I'm looking for something to wear that will "impress" a guy, if you know what I mean."

"I know just the thing. If you'll follow me, please," she said, leading Shaak Ti towards the back of the store.

"Now if you two are going to be in public, I recommend this dress." She pulled out a red dress from the rack. Shaak Ti asked the woman if she could try it on, so she took her to the dressing room.

Shaak Ti slipped it on, looking at herself in the mirror. It was a red dress that revealed her legs, and some cleavage. She hoped that it would be enough for Anakin to be turned on. She changed back into her clothes, and stepped outside.

"I'll take it," she told the employee.

# # #

The next morning, the four Jedi arrived in the hangar, each carrying a small suitcase with only the essentials.

Anakin pushed himself out from beneath the _Twilight_ , his face covered in grease and grime.

"Snips, can you show them inside? I'll just close her up and we'll be off," he said before sliding back underneath the ship.

He met them inside a minute later, and began the launch sequence.

"Anakin, please try not to _crash_ this time, alright?" Obi Wan said.

R2 chimed in too, with a series of high-pitched beeps and whistles.

"What did he say?" Obi Wan asked.

"He said that the kitchen is off limits to Anakin for the duration of the trip," she said, "for 'public safety'" (she made air quotes around the words "public safety")

Anakin spun around. "I'll show you public safety, R2! This is my ship, and I will go in the kitchen if I want!"

Shaak Ti started laughing.

The ship began to shake as they heard the rumble of the engines.

"Anakin, is it _supposed_ to do this?" Obi Wan asked.

"Relax, Obi Wan. Give her a moment. I installed some new engine modifications, so this is natural."

He patted the dashboard. "Isn't that right girl?"

The shaking stopped, and they were roaring out of the hangar and past skyscrapers.

They left orbit, and Anakin punched in the coordinates for Mandalore.

"Obi Wan, hold on to something. I'm about to jump to lightspeed."

They saw blue and white streaks out of the main viewport, before going to hyperspace. Anakin handed off the controls to Ahsoka, and started walking towards the door.

"I'm going to do everyone a favor and clean myself up. I'll be back soon."

As soon as the doors closed, Shaak Ti burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Obi Wan asked.

"You two fight like brothers!"

He started laughing too. "I guess we do."

# # #

Anakin had estimated that they would arrive in two days time and rendezvous with the _Resolute_ , and it had already been a day since they left. He and Shaak Ti were sitting in the cabin while Obi Wan meditated and Ahsoka slept.

His hands were on the steering control, when he felt something warm on top of his left hand. He looked down and saw the familiar red skin of his girlfriend, Shaak Ti.

He gently picked up her hand, and started kissing it.

"Anakin, what if someone hears us?" she said with a giggle.

"Not to worry, my love. I'll be quiet."

He kissed her all the way up her arm, continuing to her shoulder, her neck, and finally meeting her lips. They shared a passionate kiss, with Shaak Ti gently stroking his back. They were locked in their own little universe, filled with nothing but their love and this kiss. When she finally pulled away, Anakin looked confused.

"Don't worry, we're not done here," she said with a grin.

"I can't ask you something if you're covering my lips though, right?"

He nodded.

"Padme told me that she met you when you were kids. How could that be, if she was queen of Naboo and you were on Tatooine?"

"That's a rather long story. But, we have time, so I guess I can't put it off any longer."

He paused for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "It all started on Tatooine, a planet in the Outer Rim. I don't know where I'm originally from, but my first memory is of the twin suns and the endless Tatooine desert. I think I was three years old at the time. We lived with a Toydarian named Watto."

"Padme mentioned him… where does he fit into this?"

"Well, Watto bought my mother and I."

"What do you mean, _bought_?"

He looked at her, and she could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"We were sold as slaves, Shaak Ti."

Her jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious? I thought the Republic outlawed slavery centuries ago?"

"Slavery might have been outlawed by the Republic, but it was the Hutts that had control of most of the Outer Rim. They made some deals, and in exchange for Hutt guarantees of free trade and cracking down on piracy, the Republic looked the other way."

"Ani, that's terrible."

He shook his head.

"We were lucky. Watto was a grumpy old Toydarian, but he wasn't unreasonable. He treated my mother and I well, and gave me a degree of freedom. Sometimes, he let me run his shop."

She listened intently, not wanting to interrupt further. She didn't last long before interjecting.

"Anakin, my planet has had its fair share of slavery, too. I remember when I was young, that Trandoshan and Zygerrian slavers would sometimes attack and kidnap men, women, and children."

He nodded in solidarity.

"Well, there were slaves from every corner of the galaxy on Tatooine. Now, let's skip ahead a few years to when I first met Padme. Her ship had made an emergency landing in the desert, and its hyperdrive was busted. She went into town dressed as a peasant, accompanied by two Jedi escorts and an astromech droid. They found Watto's shop, and while the Jedi were looking for a hyperdrive, she started talking to me. I used some of my natural charm, and asked her if she was an angel. Obviously she wasn't, but I hadn't seen a woman as beautiful as her before. Not as beautiful as you, of course," he said, catching himself before continuing, "and we have been friends ever since. I told her about a pod race that I wanted to enter, and told her about the prize money. She rushed to tell the Jedi, and explained that the prize money would be enough to buy the hyperdrive."

"I worked on finishing my pod racer for the next week, while the Jedi stayed with us and got to know me better. The older one introduced himself as Qui Gon Jinn, and his apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi."

"I remember him taking you as his padawan, but I never found out why, so this clears things up," she said.

"Qui Gon discovered that I was force-sensitive, and said I had higher midichlorian counts than anyone he had ever seen. He called me the Chosen One. Anyways, enough bragging."

Shaak Ti giggled, then motioned for him to continue.

"I won the pod race (obviously), and used the prize money to help them fix their ship. They took me with them, but Qui Gon couldn't get my mother as well. We left for Naboo, and I helped the pilots blow up the Trade Federation Cruiser."

"After Obi Wan made me his padawan, we trained together for several years. He was my first true friend, and the brother I always wanted. I don't know what it was, but when I caught a quick glimpse of him as he walked through Watto's shop, I knew that he and I would be great together."

"Ani, I'm impressed. It seems you were a very active little boy."

He nodded.

"Shaak Ti, just so we're clear, Padme is like my sister. I know you said you're cool with us, but I just thought I should throw that one out there."

She winked. "You don't seem like the type to date their own sister, so I don't have anything to worry about."

"Good," he said.

# # #

Anakin and Shaak Ti had fallen asleep, with her head resting on his shoulder. He awoke and looked at his chrono. They still had around twelve hours journey ahead of them. Ahsoka was up too, just watching them. He turned to her, and mouthed the words "can you help me sneak into the kitchen" to her. She nodded, and Anakin gently laid Shaak Ti back on her chair without waking her up.

He and Ahsoka had managed to convince R2 to shut down and recharge, while they cooked dinner. He let Ahsoka work the stove this time, and instead focused on cutting up vegetables for a stew. He had stocked the conservator (fridge) with fresh meat and veggies before they left, in case he had an opportunity for this. They worked quickly, each one using the force to aid in the cooking process. When they were finished, they had made enough stew for four hungry Jedi. Anakin went to get Shaak Ti, and Ahsoka to get Obi Wan.

Anakin was gently kissing Shaak Ti to wake her up, while Ahsoka unfolded a table and chairs in the back of the cabin. She gave Anakin the thumbs up, and as if on cue, Shaak Ti opened her eyes. She looked first at Anakin, then looked over and saw Ahsoka pouring stew.

"You did this for me?" she asked.

"Anything for you, Shaak Ti."

She smiled, and got up from the chair. She took a seat at the table, and Obi Wan joined them soon after. Anakin took one last look at the controls, before joining the others at the table. They were all starving, so they didn't talk much for the first half of their meal. Anakin was the first to speak, complimenting Ahsoka on the meal. Shaak Ti and Obi Wan followed suit.

"It was nothing, really," she said, before going back to eating.

They talked and laughed for the rest of the meal.

"So, Obi Wan," Shaak Ti said, "Anakin told me you two have known eachother since he was little?"

"That's correct. We got acquainted on Tatooine, and we've been friends," he looked at Anakin, " _and_ brothers ever since."

She smiled, and they continued talking about various topics. The girls were talking amongst themselves, while Anakin and Obi Wan discussed Mandalore.

Anakin heard beeping from the dashboard, and went to investigate. He had incorrectly read the interface earlier, and they had less than twenty minutes before they were going to exit hyperspace.

"Everyone, finish eating quick so we can pack up the table. We're going to come out of hyperspace in about twenty minutes."

Everyone scrambled to finish, before Ahsoka and Obi Wan packed up the table and chairs. Anakin reactivated R2, and the droid immediately began interfacing with the ship.

# # #

They had landed on Mandalore, and were shuttled to the royal palace while an attendant took their things to their rooms.

They appeared before Duchess Satine, each bowing and paying their respects to the Queen.

"Oh please, no need for formalities," she said, "Obi Wan has been here enough to know that I don't much care for these formalities. We are all friends here. Any friend of Obi Wan's is a friend of mine."

Obi Wan stayed to talk with the Duchess while Anakin, Shaak Ti, and Ahsoka went to their rooms. The rooms they had been given were quite spacious, although there were only two. They decided that Shaak Ti would take one, and Anakin and Ahsoka could share, albeit with separate beds. Shaak Ti went to change for dinner, and Ahsoka did the same. Anakin waited on his bed for Shaak Ti to finish, and was rewarded for his patience by the sight of her wearing her new dress, which Anakin thought only accentuated her beauty.

"You look radiant," he said. "When did you get the dress?"

"I just had this lying around," she said. He could tell she was lying, but didn't say anything. Ahsoka walked in, wearing a less revealing blue dress, but still looking quite beautiful.

"Ahsoka, you look great," he said.

She thanked him, and they went to get their speeder-bikes. Anakin and Shaak Ti rode one, while Ahsoka took her own.

Shaak Ti held onto Anakin while they rode, and he could feel her teasing him with her breasts touching his back.

"You know you like them Ani," she said. Anakin felt himself become aroused. "Is that your lightsaber in your pants, or are you enjoying this?"

They had dinner with the Duchess and a few advisors later in the evening. Obi Wan and the Duchess were in a lively conversation, while Ahsoka talked to Korkie, the duchess' nephew. Anakin and Shaak Ti talked while they enjoyed each other's company. Anakin put an arm around her, and noticed Ahsoka and Shaak Ti were digging into their food like they hadn't eaten in days. Shaak Ti finished before him, so he finished early and left the rest of his food. After dinner, they returned to their rooms. Shaak Ti kissed him goodnight, and returned to her room. Anakin said goodnight to Ahsoka, and they fell asleep shortly after.

# # #

Shaak Ti awoke to see a bright light shining above her. She felt something on her hand, and decided to investigate. She turned her head and saw Anakin fast asleep in a chair next to her bed, his hand in hers. She tightened her grip and shook him in an attempt to wake him up.

He opened his eyes wide and pulled the chair closer. She tried to sit up, but she was in so much pain that she couldn't.

"Relax, Shaak Ti." Anakin was holding her on the bed. "You're hurt pretty badly, but the droid said you'll make a full recovery in a couple of weeks. He's going to prescribe you some medication. You should feel better in a few hours." She layed on the bed, looking up at Anakin.

"Where am I?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"You're in the medical ward on the _Resolute_. Do you remember what happened?" She closed her eyes and tried to recall how she had gotten here.

"I remember landing on Mandalore and meeting the Duchess. She wanted us to wait for Death Watch to strike, so we browsed some restaurants and shops. I don't remember anything else. What happened after? Why am I injured?"

"Death Watch attacked and there was an explosion. You were caught in the blast, but far enough away that it wasn't fatal. You fell unconscious and they escaped with the Duchess. I ordered troops to bring you back to the cruiser."

"Has Death Watch been dealt with?" she asked, hoping Anakin hadn't abandoned the mission for her sake.

"Not yet. I wanted to make sure you were alright first." She reached for his hand, and he met her halfway. "Anakin, I'm fine. Go deal with Death Watch, and we'll talk later." Their lips met, and they shared a kiss. He whispered "I love you" before he left.

After he left, she asked one of the droids to contact the Jedi Temple. Moments later, an image of Master Yoda appeared. "Master Ti, alright are you? Sense pain within you, I do. What has happened?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Master. I was injured in an explosion during a confrontation with Death Watch, but I should make a full recovery in a couple of weeks." she decided that now was as good a time as ever to make my relationship with Anakin public.

"Master, I have a confession."

"Confession, you say? Listening, I am."

She took a deep breath before addressing the aged Jedi. "Master, Anakin and I are engaged in a romantic relationship." she looked away, expecting him to be disappointed in her.

"Suspected this, I did. Sensed your feelings for him, before you left." she looked back at him and smiled.

"Thank you Master."

"Thanks? Nothing, I have done." The droid next to her warned that she needed to take pain medication soon, so she ended the transmission. she felt a prick in her arm, and within moments later drifted off to sleep.

# # #

Anakin went out into the hallway, and activated his wrist comm. "Obi Wan, I'm taking the Resolute to search for Death Watch."

"Understood. I'll stay behind and make sure they don't attack again," he said before ending the call.

Anakin arrived on the bridge a few minutes later. He saw Ahsoka and Admiral Yularen waiting for him. He ran towards them, hoping for good news.

"Admiral, has there been any indication as to the location of Death Watch's hideout?"

"Yes, General. Our spies have tracked their ships to the moon of Concordia."

"Great. I want all the troops you can muster. Tell the men to prep some AT-TEs and light vehicles, and get the pilots ready for strafing runs. Set course for Concordia."

"Yes General." He gave the order, and the ship changed course. Ahsoka and I went to my quarters.

" _Death Watch will pay for what they did to my Shaak Ti_ ," he thought to himself. " _I don't care how good they are, I'm going to kill all of them-"_

"Master?" Ahsoka said. Anakin snapped back to reality, and looked at her. She was terrified.

"What's wrong Snips?"

"I-I know you're upset about what happened to Shaak Ti, but you need to calm down. Killing them is not going to help. Please don't go through with this. Master Obi Wan told me what happened to the tribe of sand people on Tatooine-"

He turned around, his eyes red and an expression of rage across his face. "Never mention them again! I did what was necessary to save my mother from those… those animals!"

"Look what they did to Shaak Ti! They must pay for what they did to her!" He was about to walk out, when Ahsoka stepped in front of the door.

"Anakin, do you think Shaak Ti would want you to murder them? If you won't do it for me, then do it for her." She was practically begging now. He sat down, took a deep breath, and calmed down.

"You're right, Snips. She wouldn't want me to kill them out of anger, so I promise both of you I'll stop." she eased up a little, but still blocked the door.

"Promise yourself, Master, not us." He did as she instructed, and once she was convinced, she let him through the door and they walked to the bridge.

# # #

When they arrived, Admiral Yularen informed them that they were approaching the moon. They ran to the hangar, and hopped into the nearest gunship. They left the hangar, and within seconds they were taking heavy fire.

A few gunships went down, but most made it to the surface in one piece. They disembarked, and he watched as the walkers detached from the gunships. Anakin told Ahsoka to lead the main attack, while he went in search of Pre Vizla.

Anakin went inside an abandoned building, his force senses telling him he was close. He entered a large room, and found the Duchess tied to a chair, with Vizla standing behind her.

"So glad you could make it, _Jedi_. Looks like I won't need her anymore." He activated his darksaber, piercing her torso. He cut her free, and she fell forward. Anakin went to check on her, turning her towards me so she could see him.

She weakly raised her arm, and she took her hand.

"Master Skywalker," she said, struggling to speak, "Tell Obi Wan… I'm sorry and… I'll always… loved him." Her grip slackened, and she was gone. Anakin gently closed her eyes, and laid her hand on her chest. He looked back up at Pre Vizla.

"Jedi, you've made a mistake coming here," he said. He activated his darksaber.

"This was _liberated_ by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Many have died upon its blade. Now, it's your turn, Jedi."

He activated his jetpack and flew towards Anakin, darksaber poised to strike. Anakin barely deflected his attack, pushing him back. Vizla flew upward, and started taking shots with his twin blasters. Anakin was hit on his flesh arm, and deflected a shot back at Vizla. It hit his jetpack, sending him to the ground. He recovered quickly, and attacked again with his saber. They exchanged blows, until Vizla managed to knock Anakin's lightsaber free of his hand. He forced Anakin into a corner, until he had his back to the wall.

"Now, Jedi, you die. Just like that togruta that should have died in the market square." He was about to strike, when Anakin force pushed him. He went about half-way across the room, stabbing the floor to anchor himself.

He ran towards Anakin as he tried to use the force to summon his lightsaber, when Anakin heard a blaster. He glanced over at Vizla and found him dead on the floor. He looked around, until he saw Captain Rex standing in the doorway.

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Fine, Rex. I owe you one."

"Actually, sir, we're even now. Plus, I'm just doing my duty to protect my general and my men."

"Speaking of them, what's going on out there?" Anakin asked as he retrieved his own lightsaber and the darksaber, clipping them both to his belt.

"We've got those hut'uuns (cowards) on the run, sir. They're trying to flee in their ships, but we've managed to intercept most of them. We've lost about forty men, and the Commander was injured."

"Ahsoka? Is she alright?" Anakin asked, the concern apparent in his voice.

"She'll be fine, sir. She was leading our troops when she was shot in the leg. We took her back to the _Resolute_ , and she's resting up in the medical ward now."

Anakin sighed in relief, then followed Rex outside. They boarded a gunship, and went back to the _Resolute_.

# # #

They set a course back to Coruscant, and Anakin went to check on Ahsoka and Shaak Ti.

When he arrived, they both looked at him.

They both greeted him, and he sat in between their beds.

"Shaak Ti, how are you feeling?"

"Great. The droids say I'm recovering pretty well. I should be able to walk now, but I'm suppose to take it easy." She sat up and laid her legs on the side of the bed.

"How did the attack go, Master?" Ahsoka asked.

"We won, but Duchess Satine didn't make it. When I found her, Pre Vizla ran a darksaber through her. He's not a threat anymore, thanks to some help from Captain Rex."

"Thank you, Sir," he said from across the room. Anakin acknowledged him, having not noticed him when he walked in.

Anakin started talking about the darksaber when Shaak Ti gasped.

"Anakin? What's wrong with your arm?" He looked down and saw blood soaking through his sleeve.

"Flesh wound, nothing serious. I got shot by Vizla, but I'm fine. I'll worry about it later."

"ANAKIN! This is your flesh. It's not like your robotic arm. You need to take care of it NOW."

"I'm fine, really. I don't need to-"

"NO! You are getting that arm checked out right now, or you are going to have to deal with me. I love you, so please do this Anakin."

"Ok." He called for a medical droid, and he was led behind a curtain. He took off his shirt, and the droid cleaned off the blood and examined the wound. He was told that he had been lucky, since it hadn't gotten infected. The droid cleaned the wound, and put a bacta patch on it. He was released, so he put his shirt back on.

"All three patients are cleared to leave," the droid said, "although I recommend bed rest." Anakin and Ahsoka helped Shaak Ti out of bed, and walked to their rooms.

# # #

When they returned to Coruscant, they were expected to give a report before the Council. Shaak Ti had to lean on Anakin for support. They were debriefed, and Anakin gave the darksaber to Master Yoda.

"Stolen by the Mandalorians long ago, this was," he began, "very powerful, it is. Thank you for returning it, I do."

They bowed.

"Excellent job, you four," Master Plo said. "The council has decided to give you three," he said, pointing to Anakin, Ahsoka, and Shaak Ti, "three months of meditative retreat to recover from your injuries. You are free to go where you wish. Dismissed." They bowed, and left.

# # #

 _I hope you enjoyed this, because I definitely did. Please review! I value your feedback, because it lets me make this story even better for you guys, the readers._


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: I've re-uploaded this chapter because some people were having trouble viewing it._

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Six**

Anakin woke up early the next day to speak to Obi Wan. He had sensed great despair in his friend when they had mentioned the death of Duchess Satine during their briefing.

"Good morning, my old Master," he said.

"Anakin? What are you doing here? I thought that you, Shaak Ti, and Ahsoka would've left by now?" Anakin wondered how many other people knew about his relationship with Shaak Ti. He worried that she would become a target for bounty hunters, or worse.

Obi Wan sensed Anakin's fear, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Anakin, the council knows about you two. Jedi are allowed to love now, remember?"

"I know that, but I'm not the most popular person in the Order. I don't want anyone to target her. She already got hurt once, and I'd rather not let it happen again." Obi Wan nodded in understanding, and dropped the topic.

"Obi Wan, are you alright?"

"Of course, Anakin. Why wouldn't I be?" Anakin could hear the pain in his voice, despite his attempts to mask it.

"I know that you and the Duchess had feelings for each other, Obi Wan. I know how it feels to lose someone that you love, so I'm here to help. I know how sorrow can consume a man, and I don't want to see it happen to you. How are you really feeling?"

He sighed. "I miss her, Anakin," he said. "We knew one another for a very long time, and cared deeply about each other. We had just picked up our relationship a few months back. I asked Master Yoda privately to accompany you to Mandalore, so that I could give her this," he said, taking out an ornate wedding ring. "I wanted to marry her, Anakin," he said as he let a few tears stream down his cheek.

"There's something I should tell you. Before she died, she told me she was sorry, and that she's always loved you."

"I just wish I could have told her," he said, the tears falling freely now. "I am certain she already knew, Obi Wan. I could sense it before she died."

He continued to cry, but I could see that knowing Satine knew he loved her made him happy.

"Anakin, thank you. You've always been there when I needed you. You are like the brother I never had."

After he had calmed himself down, he looked up at me. "Anakin, I want to congratulate you on Shaak Ti. I suggest you go and finish packing. You have a much-deserved meditative retreat ahead."

# # #

"Good morning Master," Ahsoka said groggily, stretching her arms before standing up.

"Morning Snips! Are you ready to leave?"

She nodded. "I packed my things before I fell asleep last night. All I need to do now is shower and double check everything."

"Great. While you take care of that, I'm going to check on Shaak Ti."

Ahsoka grabbed some clean clothes and stepped into the refresher as Anakin walked out the door.

She took a quick shower, and set about checking her luggage.

She made a mental list. " _Lightsabers, check. Clothes, check. Toiletries, check._ "

She sighed in satisfaction. "I think that's everything," she said. She grabbed her bags, and went to the hangar.

# # #

Shaak Ti woke up a few minutes early and checked her luggage. Once she was satisfied, she decided to take a quick shower before Anakin and Ahsoka arrived.

She grabbed some decent clothes, and stepped into the sonic shower. She made the water nice and warm, knowing it would feel good. She was still sore from her time on Mandalore, but her recovery was proceeding well.

She was about done scrubbing her body, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Shaak Ti? It's Anakin. Are you ready to leave? I'm all set and Ahsoka is finishing up."

" _I can't let him see me like this,_ " she thought. She stepped out of the shower, and proceeded to dry herself as quickly as possible.

Her silence made Anakin curious. He knocked on the door harder, and she knew that if she didn't answer soon, he would knock the door down. I wrapped a towel around myself and walked over to the door. She opened it slightly, but Anakin came inside and fell on top of her.

He stared at her naked form, his eyes transfixed. When he regained his composure, he stood up and tried looking away while she ran back to the refresher. She had teased him before, but this was the first time he had seen her _naked_. She changed quickly, and went back to the living room. Anakin was still standing there, looking nervous about what had transpired.

'Shaak Ti, I am SO sorry. I didn't mean to come in while you were changing. Please forgive me." He kept his eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to look up at her out of shame. She walked up to him, and forced his lips against hers. He returned, holding on tight until she pulled away to catch her breath.

"It's OK, Ani. You were just worried about me. I'm sure I would've done the same. It was really sweet."

She grabbed some of her bags, while Anakin carried the rest. They returned to his dorm, and found Ahsoka sealing her suitcase.

"You all set, Ahsoka?"

"Yes, Shaak Ti. Might I ask where we're going?" Shaak Ti was caught off guard, since she hadn't made any plans.

"We're going to Alderaan, Snips. I'm going to call in a favor from Senator Organa. I saved his life after an assassination attempt a while back, so I'm sure he'd be more than happy to accomodate us."

He stepped outside the dorm, presumably to call the Alderaani Senator. Ahsoka and Shaak Ti waited patiently inside. He returned a few minutes later.

"What did he say, Ani?" Shaak Ti asked.

"He was more than happy to help. He sent me the coordinates for a nice house on Alderaan. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living room, and all new furniture."

"Wow!" she said. "He's just letting us stay there for three months? I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, Shaak Ti. We get the house all to ourselves, and the best part is that it's not near a city." He checked his chrono and looked back at the girls. "We should probably leave now; I don't want to miss a second of retreat with you two."

They loaded up the _Twilight_ with the help of R2, and within minutes they were in hyperspace.

# # #

It had been two weeks since the three Jedi had arrived on Alderaan, and things had been going well. Shaak Ti and Ahsoka's injuries were healing remarkably well, and they had been assured of a full recovery. They had all felt much more relaxed on the planet, without all the hustle and bustle of Coruscant. Each one had found something they loved; Shaak Ti discovered knitting, Ahsoka began painting views of the surrounding countryside, and Anakin had been modifying their speeder.

Shaak Ti had been learning to paint with Ahsoka, and Anakin was in the garage with R2. He heard the girls laughing inside and having a good time. He decided it was best not to interrupt the fun.

"R2, hand me that plasma torch."

The droid happily brought the tool, and activated it mere feet from his master's head. Anakin used the force to turn it off, and glared at the droid.

"Not funny," he said.

R2 seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Don't laugh, R2. I can always remove your rocket boosters." The droid stopped, and slowly backed away.

"That's what I thought," he said, before returning to his work.

After several hours, he could hear Shaak Ti calling him for dinner. He closed the engine compartment, and wiped his face before coming inside.

"I think you missed a spot," Shaak Ti said, pointing down at the massive spot near his crotch are and laughing.

Anakin looked down and started cursing.

"R2!" he bellowed.

Shaak Ti had to grab onto the counter to avoid falling over from laughter. Anakin clearly didn't find it funny, although after a few minutes he joined in her laughter. He went upstairs to change, and when he returned she had made an elaborate dinner.

Anakin was impressed. "Shaak Ti! Why didn't you tell me you were making all this? I should've helped."

"Nonsense," she said, "I wanted to surprise you. I thought it would be nice, after all you've done for me already."

Anakin didn't know what to say. She motioned for him to sit down, and filled his plate. She had made steak, cooked vegetables, and potatoes.

Anakin took a bite, and moaned.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Shaak Ti, this is _heavenly_."

She smiled, and took a bite herself. They invited Ahsoka to join them, and the three Jedi enjoyed dinner.

# # #

Anakin awoke the next morning, and went to check on Shaak Ti. He gently opened her door, but found the room empty. He went to Ahsoka's room, but she was gone as well. He walked downstairs, and found Ahsoka making breakfast.

"Morning, Snips," he said, stretching his arms. "Have you seen Shaak Ti?"

She pointed to the porch, and he saw her facing away from the window. He went outside to join her.

He approached silently, not wanting to disturb her. She was painting the sunrise, her eyes darting between the scene before her and the canvas. Anakin sat down on the couch and watched her work. He saw the look of concentration on her face, and marveled at her beauty.

Finally, she smiled, and held up her painting, obviously satisfied with her work. Anakin crept behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her cheek. She didn't acknowledge immediately, but instead put down her canvas on the easel and returned his kiss. She put her arms atop his, her lips locked in his kiss. Finally he pulled away, and took her hand.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"It was ok," she said.

"Maybe I could help?"

"She turned around to look at him, and placed a finger on his chest. "Are you asking to sleep with me?"

"Only if you want," he purred. She looked into his eyes. "I think something can be arranged." She smiled, and took his hand, leading him inside.

They sat down at the table, and Ahsoka served them breakfast. She had made eggs, bacon, and toast. They ate quietly, Anakin and Shaak Ti still looking into each other's eyes. Finally, Shaak Ti turned to Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka, do you think we could teach Anakin to paint?" she asked.

"I think so. I'll go set everything up," she said, rushing out the door.

Anakin hadn't stopped looking at Shaak Ti, taking in all her features. He took her hand, and looked into her eyes once more.

"I don't think we should keep Ahsoka waiting," he said. She nodded, and they went outside.

Ahsoka had prepared three canvases and easels, all facing towards the mountains in the East.

"I thought we should start with something simple for Anakin's first time. Plus, I love the sight of the mountains. They're so _peaceful_."

They nodded in agreement, and selected an easel. Anakin chose the middle one, with Ahsoka and Shaak Ti on either side of him.

Ahsoka showed him how to mix his colors, and began applying them to her own canvas. When she finished, she looked up at Anakin and motioned for him to do the same. He carefully dabbed his brush on the canvas, trying to imitate what Ahsoka had shown him. She waited patiently for him to finish, while Shaak Ti worked on her own.

Anakin learned how to paint distant objects and shadows. When he was finished, he glanced at Ahsoka's painting, before looking back at his own. It wasn't as nice as hers, but he was satisfied with his handiwork. She congratulated him, and began cleaning up the art supplies. Shaak Ti suggested they go grocery shopping, so Anakin rushed to the garage.

When Shaak Ti and Ahsoka entered, they saw an oddly-shaped mound, covered by a tarp. Anakin pulled the cover off, revealing the speeder he had been working on so intently.

His onlookers stared in awe.

"So _this_ is what you've been working on out here, Anakin?" Ahsoka asked.

"That's right, Snips. I rebuilt it from the ground up, because I know how uncomfortable it was before. Now, instead of someone being squished against the handlebars, they can sit in the sidecar. Someone still has to ride behind the driver, but I know that you won't mind."

They looked at it for a moment, before Ahsoka hopped in the sidecar.

Anakin hopped on, with Shaak Ti riding behind him. He opened the garage, and went towards the town.

# # #

After they had bought groceries, they tasked R2 with bringing them home before coming back with the speeder.

They looked through the various shops, several times they asked Anakin for his opinion on the clothes they were trying on. He tried to be as honest as possible, since he didn't want them to buy anything they wouldn't want later.

Shaak Ti stepped into try on some clothes, and Anakin pulled Ahsoka aside.

"Ahsoka, I need you to keep Shaak Ti occupied for a while."

"Why?" she asked.

"I have to take care of somethings, and I don't want Shaak Ti to find out."

She looked at him and frowned.

He sensed her concerns. "Ahsoka, it's nothing bad. I promise."

"Then why can't you tell me?" she asked, sounding annoyed. "Does it have something to do with why you've been sneaking out every night?"

Anakin relented. "Yes, Ahsoka it does. If you must know, I've been going to the local jeweler's every night to have him work on a ring for Shaak Ti."

"A RING!" she almost shouted, before Anakin clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Yes, a ring. I'm planning something special for her during dinner sometime this week, but I need someone to keep her occupied so she doesn't follow me. Can I trust you to keep this between us?"

"Absolutely Mas-, I mean Anakin. I'll keep her off your trail until you're done."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Thanks, Snips." Anakin sensed that Shaak Ti was looking for them, so they returned to the front of the store.

"There you two are," she said, "I was wondering where you went." Anakin lifted her off her feet and kissed her, spinning her around. She laughed and returned his kisses, until he set her down.

"I just had to talk to Ahsoka about something, don't worry. I've got to take care of some things, so I'll meet you and Ahsoka back at the house later today."

"Alright," she said. Anakin sensed the disappointment in her voice. He walked over to talk to her, but she left. Ahsoka ran to catch up to her, while Anakin watched them walk away.

 _I feel bad about leaving her behind, but I know she'll be a lot happier soon when I'm done with this ring_.

Anakin searched town until he found a rental speeder, and returned home to retrieve the final piece he needed.

# # #

"I've got to take care of some things, so I'll meet you and Ahsoka back at the house later today."

Shaak Ti was sad that he didn't want to spend time with her. She knew he had been sneaking out of the house several times over the past two weeks. She had trusted him with her love, so she didn't follow him. Now, however, she was beginning to have her doubts. She thought he didn't love her as much as before. Just the thought of being apart from him made her depressed.

"Shaak Ti, wait for me," Ahsoka said. She slowed down and waited for the younger Jedi to catch up.

"Ahsoka, do you know where Anakin goes every time he leaves? He's been sneaking out a lot lately, and I'm worried." Ahsoka put her hand on Shaak Ti's shoulder, and looked up at her.

"Shaak Ti, trust me when I tell you that you'll see soon enough what he's been doing."

 _You'll see soon enough? What does that mean?_

They rode back to the house, and the whole time Shaak Ti was thinking about where Anakin was sneaking off to at night.

 _He always seems happier when he comes back… He sneaks out whenever he wants and doesn't come back for hours… Is he cheating on me?_

They arrived home, and Shaak Ti sat down on the couch outside, lost in thought. She hoped she was wrong about him. She hoped he was going to surprise her with something, although that didn't seem likely. He had always told her the truth in the past.

 _Why would he lie to me now?_

She was torn between fearing the worst, and hoping she was wrong about him.

She walked inside a few minutes later, and was shocked to see Anakin standing there.

# # #

He was surprised to see them back so soon. He was holding both his and Shaak Ti's lightsabers before they came in. He hid them in his robe as they walked inside.

"Hello you two," he said. "What are you doing home so early?"

"Nothing much, Anakin," Ahsoka responded. "We just decided to come back while you go and do your thing." She winked, and Anakin couldn't help but chuckle. Shaak Ti walked over to him, and stopped in front of him.

"Anakin, where do you go all the time?" she asked. He was tempted to tell her the truth, but decided to wait until dinnertime.

"I'll explain everything tonight during dinner, Shaak Ti. I promise. Everything will make sense." She looked down, but Anakin gently lifted her chin and met her lips. She held him tight, and refused to let go. Anakin finally managed to break free.

"I love you, Shaak Ti." he said, and left.

# # #

He hopped on his speeder and made a beeline for the jeweler's. When he arrived, he opened both lightsabers and removed the two blue crystals. The jeweler led him to the back of the shop, and went to talk to other customers.

Anakin took out the rings he had made, and removed a small piece of each crystal. He placed the part of his on Shaak Ti's ring, and a fragment of hers on his ring. He wrapped them in a small box and went home as quick as possible.

# # #

Shaak Ti and Ahsoka were in the kitchen, busy making dinner. Anakin had contacted Ahsoka, and told her he would be home soon.

Shaak Ti couldn't honestly say she was excited.

 _He's probably out there with another woman_

Anakin walked in, and they ate in silence.

Shaak Ti watched Anakin eat. He had promised to explain everything to her, but he hadn't said a word so far.

Finally, she broke the silence. "So, Anakin, where were you today?" He looked over at her and smiled.

"I'm glad you asked. I've got something to show you, Shaak Ti."

She stared into his eyes, chilling him to the bone. Her gaze was like ice, piercing his soul.

"Let me guess," she said, "you're leaving me for another woman?" He choked on his food, a look of shock on his face.

He took her hand. "Shaak Ti, I love you and you alone. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Then what have you been doing all this time?" she asked, tearing her hand away from him. He stood up, and walked over to where she was sitting. She got out of her seat, and slapped him. His cheek was red, but he was smiling.

"Do you think this is funny Anakin? Do you even care about me anymore?"

He got down on one knee, and pulled out something from his robe. "Look." he said.

He extended his arms, and revealed a small black box. He opened it, revealing two rings, before looking up at her.

"Shaak Ti, will you marry me?" She wiped the tears from her eyes, and saw that he had taken a piece of his lightsaber crystal, and embedded it in her ring. It shined brightly against the light.

She put a hand over her mouth, crying for a moment. Anakin adopted a look of concern, worried he had done something wrong.

She looked down. "Anakin, I don't deserve you. Here I am, accusing you of cheating on me, and you do something like this," she said, choking up from her tears.

"Why would you want to marry _me_ after what I said?"

He stood up, and wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry onto his shoulder. He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.

"Shaak Ti, I don't care about that. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and nothing will change my mind. You can still say yes. I love you, and I know you feel the same way. I'm sure I would have reacted the same way in your position."

"YES!" she shouted, still crying into his shoulder. He pulled her back, and placed the ring on her finger. He pulled her back into his arms, comforting her.

"You did it." Ahsoka said.

"Did what, Snips?"

"Now that you two are going to be married, I'll finally have parents."

They both turned to look at her.

"Shaak Ti, Anakin," she said, "I've always seen you as my parents, in a way. Master, you are always looking out for me, protecting me, and you once told me that we're family. You're the father I never had. Master Ti, you and I are the only two Togrutans in the Jedi Order, so we've always had a special bond. I've been able to come to you when I needed to talk, or if I was feeling lonely. I've come to regard you as my mother, or at least how I have always imagined my mother."

They both started crying, before wrapping Ahsoka in their arms. They stayed like that for a while, before Anakin pulled away. He looked at Shaak Ti, then at Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka, would you like to officially become a member of the Skywalker family?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean, Master?"

"Ahsoka, we'd like to adopt you," Shaak Ti said.

"YES! Yes yes yes!" she said, before returning to hug her new parents.

# # #

Anakin and Shaak Ti we're sitting on the couch. She had her head on his chest, his arm was wrapped around her. She had calmed down since dinner.

She was overjoyed that she was engaged. Still, a part of her felt guilty that she had yelled at Anakin and assumed the worst.

She nudged his hand, and sat up.

"Ani?" She said.

He held her hand. "Yes, my love?"

"I'm… sorry for what I said. I accused you of cheating on me and yelled at you, yet you still wanted to marry me. Do I deserve you, Anakin?"

He had stopped smiling, a serious expression on his face.

"Why would you even ask something so ridiculous? Of course you deserve me, Shaak Ti. I love you, and you love me. That's all that matters."

She smiled, and cuddled up against him again.

He looked down, and smirked. She met his gaze. "Now that we're engaged… maybe I could help you with getting a better night's sleep…"

"We're just talking about sleep, right?" She asked, deadpan.

He chuckled. "Of course. Anything for you, my love."

He kissed her forehead, and they went back to cuddling.

They stayed like that for several hours, until she fell asleep. He took her in his arms, and carried her to bed. He carefully laid her on her side, stopping to watch her for a moment. She seemed so peaceful.

He quickly changed into clean clothes, and laid down behind her, pressing his body against hers. He saw her smile, meaning that she must have liked being close. He wrapped an arm around her, and pulled the blanket over them.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was.

# # #

 _Please leave a review, I appreciate your feedback._


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: This chapter was originally supposed to be much longer, but I decided to split it into two because of what comes next in the story. It's pretty important, so I felt that it deserved its own chapter. Another thing: I go back to school on Jan. 3rd, so from then on expect one chapter per week, maybe two if I have time on the weekends. Enjoy!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Co-author: Brandon66**

 **Chapter Seven**

Anakin awoke early the next morning, half expecting to be back on Coruscant. Instead, he opened his eyes and saw white and blue lekku. He shifted his view to her beautiful red skin, taking in every inch of her. I created a trail of kisses, from her montral to lekku. He heard her moan gently in her sleep, encouraging him to continue.

He shifted his body so he could kiss her face, starting from behind the ear. He worked his way down until he reached her lips, adjusting her head slightly to reach his lips. They connected, and Anakin felt a tingle throughout his body. She met his tongue, and they enjoyed a long, passionate kiss.

She raised a hand, trying to feel her lover's face. Anakin gently guided it to his cheek, allowing her to stroke it. He enjoyed the feeling, and decided to reward her with another kiss.

She pulled away, and Anakin thought he had done something wrong.

"Mmmm, Ani…" she moaned, "let me get more comfortable," she said, shifting her body to face him.

She traced a finger gently down Anakin's chest, exploring his muscular figure. Anakin responded by flexing his pectorals, causing her to pull back in shock.

"Anakin, what was that?"

"What?" he asked, totally confused by her sudden withdrawal.

"Your chest… it moved. Are you feeling sick?" she put a hand on his forehead, checking for raised body temperature.

He started laughing. He took her hands in his, gently working his thumbs in small circles on her palms. "I'm completely fine. My chest can move because I've developed the muscles there. Don't worry."

She took a moment to look at his chest again, as if expecting something to happen. Finally, she looked at him, and laughed as well.

"Although… I am feeling a bit chilly," he said, "maybe you can help warm me up?"

She pulled herself closer to him, their bodies pressing on one another. He flexed his chest muscles again, causing her breasts to move in unison.

She pulled herself even closer, and locked his lips in a stranglehold. She met his tongue, and began an intense wrestling match as they explored each other's mouths. She felt something poking at her stomach, but was too lost in the moment to care. When she pulled away, she looked down and saw his excitement manifest itself. She looked into his eyes, and he saw something he would never forget: there was a desire, a _hunger_ to be with him. It was as if she had been consumed by some primal instinct, taking on the look of an animal lusting for its mate.

He felt aroused and worried at the same time. She was fighting off a full-scale siege inside her mind, trying to prevent her base instincts to topple the mighty walls of her self-discipline. She had decided to wait until after they were married, but her instincts only saw a man before her. Her arms moved as if with a mind of their own, slowly working their way towards his fully-erect manhood. She called upon the force for aid in self-discipline, and stopped herself from touching him _there_.

"Ani… can we just stay like this for a while?"

He nodded, and pulled her closer, holding her in his strong arms.

# # #

They spent the rest of their meditative retreat on Alderaan exploring the countryside, taking romantic trips down the river, having picnics, among other things.

They were all disappointed when it was time to leave, but also a bit excited to announce their engagement.

Anakin was packing his bag, his body slightly bent forward as he placed each item in the suitcase. Shaak Ti had already stopped her packing, and instead spent her time watching him work. He turned around to get something, and almost fell back when he saw her staring at him.

"See anything you like?" he asked, flexing his chest muscles.

"Yes… and it's _very_ distracting," she said, licking her lips.

"I'm flattered by the attention, but we do have to get back to the Temple soon…"

"Right, of course. Sorry for bothering you," she said, sounding hurt.

He felt bad about shooting her down like that, but decided to let it go. He finished packing his bag, and used the force to propel it downstairs. Ahsoka and R2 were loading their bags into the Twilight, as well as the gifts they had gotten for some of their friends.

When they boarded the ship, Anakin informed them that he had to make a slight detour. They headed to the capital city of Aldea, and landed near Senator Organa's residence. Anakin went alone to personally thank him for the house.

# # #

Senator Organa was reading the news on a holo-tablet at the kitchen table and drinking tea, when he heard a knock at the door. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Anakin Skywalker.

"Master Skywalker," he said, "How are you? Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"I did indeed, Senator," he said, bowing in respect.

"Excellent! I'm glad. I was going to call you, but telling you in person will be even better. Anakin, the house is yours. Feel free to use it whenever you'd like."

Anakin was taken aback. "I...I don't know what to say. Thank you, Senator Organa." 

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's a gift."

Anakin thanked him, and returned to the ship.

# # #

They arrived back on Coruscant, and raced to the Council chambers for an important meeting. Shaak Ti took her regular seat, while Ahsoka and Anakin stood in the center of the room.

Anakin was watching Shaak Ti in her seat, and Ahsoka had to nudge him when Master Windu began speaking.

"Mandalore has been thrown into a state of chaos. Three months after the death of Duchess Satine, no ruler has taken her place. An important meeting is being held tomorrow to determine who will succeed her. We have decided that Master Ti and Padawan Tano will oversee the event, and ensure the security of all present. You will depart at once. Contact us when you arrive, and report any progress."

"Yes, Master Windu," Shaak Ti replied.

"Good. Now, if there is nothing else…" he paused for a moment, waiting for someone else to speak.

"... then this council is adjourned."

The Council members were getting up to leave when Anakin spoke up. "Masters, if I may," he said, waiting for them to sit back down, "I have an announcement to make."

"Announcement, you say?" Master Yoda aksed. "Important, it is?"

"Yes, Master," he said, turning to address the aged Jedi. "Master Ti and I are engaged to be married."

He waited a moment for his words to sink in, watching the looks of shock on the normally reserved Jedi Council's faces.

"Not only that," he continued, "but we have decided to adopt Ahsoka as our daughter." The gathered Jedi Masters glanced at Ahsoka, then at Anakin, then Shaak Ti.

Master Plo was the first to speak. "Is this true, Master Ti?"

She nodded. "And what of little 'Soka?"

"I've always seen Masters Skywalker and Ti as father and mother figures in my life. I look up to Master Skywalker, since I am his Padawan, and to Master Ti, since we share a special bond, being the only two Togrutans in the Order. From now on, I would like to be known as Padawan Ahsoka Tano-Skywalker."

"And I would like to be addressed as Shaak Ti-Skywalker," she interjected, "once we are officially married."

Everyone in the room, save for Ahsoka, Shaak Ti, and Anakin, struggled to process what they had just heard. Never before in the history of the Jedi had two members been engaged to marry, let alone adopt a child. After minutes of silent contemplation, Master Yoda spoke.

"Very well. Happy, you seem to be. Approve of your decision, I do. Interfere, we will not." They bowed respectfully before the council, and made a hasty retreat. They headed towards the hangar, ready for their mission.

# # #

When the trio arrived, Shaak Ti realized that they needed a ship.

"You can take the _Twilight_ ," Anakin said. "Ahsoka's flown it before, so I know she's in good hands," he said, gently patting his ship.

"Don't worry Ani, we'll make sure not to damage your precious ship," Shaak Ti remarked, a mischievous look in her eye.

"Be careful, ok? I can't afford to lose you. Either of you."

"Don't worry, dad," Ahsoka said, smiling and winking at me. "I'll look after mom while we're away."

"I know you will, Snips," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I've got a surprise when you get back. And please, don't do any of the dumb things I pull on a regular basis." They chuckled, and closed the landing ramp.

Anakin watched them fly away, comforted by the knowledge that he would see them soon.

 _Now that they're gone, I can finally start working on our dorm! I can't wait to see their faces when they get back._

He was walking back to his dorm, when Master Plo stopped him.

"Skywalker," he said in his deep voice, "I just wanted to thank you personally for what you did for little 'Soka."

Anakin nodded, before the aquatic jedi continued, "I know that she never knew her birth parents. I've seen the way she looks at you two, and I'm positive she already saw you as her parents, even before you began dating. I wanted to thank you for being what I couldn't: a father to Ahsoka."

Anakin smiled, and let the Jedi Master continue on his way. Once he entered his dorm, he grabbed some tools and got to work.

# # #

Shaak Ti and Ahsoka had taken turns sleeping and piloting, rotating every six hours. They both pitched in cooking, letting R2 fly the ship in the meantime. The trip only took a day, so they didn't have to cook more than once. "Cooking" amounted to using some leftover spices to season rations, since otherwise they were barely palatable.

As soon as the _Twilight_ touched down on Mandalore, they were immediately shuttled to the throne room. It was filled with all of Satine's various advisors, and Ahsoka even saw the Duchess's nephew, Korkie Kryze.

"Hey mom," Ahsoka whispered, "Why is Satine's nephew here?" she asked, pointing at him. "I thought this meeting was about deciding the next ruler."

"Sweetie, he IS the next in the line of succession for the throne."

"What?" Ahsoka asked, feeling confused. "Isn't there someone more qualified to take the throne? He's my age!"

"Ahsoka, don't judge someone by their age," Shaak Ti said. "You'd be surprised by what Korkie has already done for the planet." The two Jedi returned their attention to the crowd of advisors still arguing about the right of succession.

"No, No, No! The boy is simply too young to rule an entire system," one of the advisors said. "He would only destroy what little peace we have left!"

"I disagree," another argued. "The boy has already accomplished so much. He's studied politics for many years, and Satine had been teaching him how to rule. I'm confident he understands the responsibilities of the throne."

Ahsoka left her mother's side, and waded through the sea of advisors to reach Korkie.

"Aren't you next in line for the throne?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," he said, sounding dejected, "but I don't think I'll ever be as effective as my aunt Satine."

Her conversation was interrupted when a gas grenade came flying into the room, forcing Korkie and the advisors to flee.

She heard the familiar roar of jetpacks, but couldn't identify the source. When the smoke cleared, the two Jedi saw three members of Death Watch hovering above them.

"Kill the boy!" one yelled. Another fired a shot at Korkie, but it was blocked by Ahsoka's lightsaber. They opened fire on the two Jedi, each shot expertly deflected by their lightsabers.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" Ahsoka asked. The smoke had completely dissipated, and they appeared shocked to see two Jedi.

"Damn Jedi!" one yelled. "We will never forget Concordia. Attack!"

They let loose a torrent of blaster fire, which was deflected back by the Jedi. Each shot hit their mark, killing the three attackers.

"You've just saved my life… thank you, Master Jedi," he said, bowing before them. "I've… I've decided to take the throne. I will not let those terrorists strike fear into the hearts of Mandalore anymore."

# # #

A week after the failed assassination of Korkie, things began to return to normal. Korkie had officially announced his succession to the throne, and had tried his hardest to rule as effectively as his late aunt. He told Ahsoka that there would be a funeral for all friends of Satine in a few weeks time.

Shaak Ti had been through a lot during her week on Mandalore, and she missed Anakin more than ever. She was relieved when she got a transmission from the Council, informing them that they could return. She was almost giddy with excitement, knowing that she could return to him soon.

# # #

Anakin was putting the finishing touches on their new dorm, when he got a message Shaak Ti. They were in hyperspace, and on their way home. He told them to meet him outside his dorm, barely able able to contain his excitement.

After several hours in hyperspace, R2 began landing procedures for the _Twilight_. Shaak Ti stood in front of the landing ramp, unable to wait for it to open. When it had descended enough for her to fit, she leaped into the hangar, and took off running to the Council chambers. Ahsoka chased her, barely able to catch up with her before entering the Council chambers. As usual, every member was present, either physically or by hologram.

Shaak Ti gave her report to the council, standing on the balls of her feet, unable to stand still from her excitement. Ahsoka knew she missed Anakin, but she didn't realize how much.

Shaak Ti finished her report, and the two Togrutans were allowed to leave. She began bolting for the doors, until Ahsoka caught her and reminded her about talking to Obi Wan. She agreed, and they waited outside the Council chambers, Shaak Ti trying desperately to compose herself.

Obi Wan walked outside and waved. "Hello Master Ti," he said, nodding to me, "Ahsoka."

"Is there something you wish to tell me?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka replied, her tone changing immediately to reflect the seriousness of what she was going to say. "We thought you should know that a funeral will be held for Duchess Satine on Mandalore in a few weeks time. Any friend of Satine is welcome, if you wish to attend."

The words "friend of Satine" got stuck in Obi Wan's ears.

 _We were much more than just friends. If anyone deserves to go, it should be me._

He was lost in his thoughts, so he didn't notice when Ahsoka said goodbye before chasing her mother down the hall.

"Ahsoka?" he asked, stopping the padawan in her tracks.

"Yes, Master Kenobi?"

He beckoned her to come closer. Shaak Ti had stopped running, and Ahsoka mouthed the words "wait for me" to her. She complied, leaning up against a wall while she watched her daughter from afar.

"Ahsoka, thank you for telling me this. Will there be any time for guests to give speeches at the funeral service?"

"Of course. Were you planning on giving one?" She asked.

Shaak Ti had returned to her daughter's side, the look of pure excitement gone from her face.

"Yes. I have known her ever since I was a padawan, under Master Qui Gon. It wasn't until after the Clone Wars ended that I realized my love for her."

He took out a small black box from his back pocket, handing it to Ahsoka to inspect. She opened it, and discovered a beautiful gold ring.

"I was going to ask her to marry me, but she died before I got the chance."

Ahsoka could hear the sadness in his voice. She felt the intense flurry of emotions from Shaak Ti. At just the thought of Anakin, Shaak Ti felt deep sorrow for Obi Wan. Ahsoka and her mother pulled him close, hugging him for a long time before leaving.

Once everyone was gone, Shaak Ti bolted once again towards Anakin's dorm. Ahsoka smiled and tried not to laugh as she followed her mother.

# # #

Shaak Ti turned a corner, and saw her Anakin. He turned his head and smiled. She ran towards him, and he opened his arms to her. She almost tackled him, as they both fell to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, as they both laughed.

She met his lips, and forced her tongue inside. He followed suit, and soon they were locked in a passionate kiss, still on the floor outside his dorm. Shaak Ti was going wild after a week without the salty-sweet taste that was uniquely Anakin. She heard Ahsoka stop behind her, and gently released herself from his lips, pushing herself up from his chest. She kissed every inch of his face, making sure his face was covered before standing up.

"It seems like someone missed me," he said with a grin.

Ahsoka walked over to them and smiled. " _Of course_ we missed you dad. Our life isn't the same without you." She went towards the door, but Anakin extended his arm to block her.

"Shaak Ti, Ahsoka, do you remember when I told you about a surprise I was working on for the two of you?"

"What's the surprise?" Ahsoka asked.

"This." Anakin opened the door, and let Shaak Ti and Ahsoka walk inside.

Their eyes lit up, both in disbelief as they looked around the room.

Anakin had completely renovated the dorm, so that it could comfortably house three. They walked down the short hallway from the entrance, which led to a small living room and kitchen, each with furniture. The refresher door was in the back of the living room.

To the right of the dorm was the master bedroom, complete with a queen sized bed. Anakin added a wardrobe for Shaak Ti, and a holo-tv hanging opposite of the bed, and two dressers. As an added bonus, Anakin had soundproofed the room, preventing any noise from escaping the bedroom, but allowing noise from the rest of the dorm inside.

On the left side of the dorm was a smaller room for Ahsoka. There was a bed, a holo-tv hanging from the ceiling, a closet in the corner, and a dresser. Anakin had even moved her belongings to the new room.

"Surprise! All that's left is to move Shaak Ti's things to _our_ new dorm," he said, motioning towards the front door.

As they walked to Shaak Ti's dorm, he began telling them about the renovation.

"First, I had to convince the Council to let the three of us live together," he said. "Masters Kenobi and Plo supported my argument, and eventually the Council conceded and gave its permission. However, we have to clear the room _today_ , because they are re-assigning it to someone else tomorrow morning.

Once they arrived, the three Jedi began packing up all of Shaak Ti's belongings, putting them in boxes and ferrying them back to their new dorm.

After clearing the room for most of the afternoon, the three Jedi were exhausted. They returned to their dorm, and sat down on the couch. Shaak Ti positioned herself on Anakin's lap, leaning her head against his shoulder, with Ahsoka lying across from them.

"So, how was Mandalore?" Anakin asked. "Hopefully less exciting than last time?"

Shaak Ti glared at him with mock-anger, before cracking a smile.

"It went alright," Shaak Ti said, "Satine's nephew, Korkie Kryze, has succeeded his late aunt as ruler of Mandalore. He also told us that they're holding a funeral for friends of the Duchess. Obi Wan already told us that he'll be there; we're going too, right?"

"Of course," he said, stroking her montrals. "When is it?"

"About a week from now, although they're still organizing it." Ahsoka replied.

"Well, that gives Shaak Ti and I more time to organize our wedding, right love?"

She smiled back at him, envisioning being called "Shaak Ti-Skywalker."

"Of course, my love," she said.

They sat there for a while, tired from their moving operation, when Anakin his gift for Ahsoka. She went to the refresher, so Anakin gently lifted the lovely Togrutan from his lap and went to fetch the gift. When Ahsoka came back, she saw Anakin standing in front of her, his hands behind his back.

"Ahsoka, I have a gift for you," he said, revealing a set of blueprints.

"Master?" Ahsoka asked, bewildered by the strange gift.

"These are design schematics for shoto lightsabers. Take a look."

She unfurled the paper, and saw a diagram for a short-handle lightsaber.

"I thought this prefer these over your existing lightsabers," he said.

She ran towards him, hugging him tight.

"THANK YOU!" she shouted.

"Your welcome, Snips. Maybe we can work on it tomorrow? I think they might have some of the basic parts in stock."

She nodded emphatically, before running off to her room. Anakin smiled when he saw her carefully place the schematics on her dresser, before returning to the couch.

"Now, how about we watch a movie?" Anakin asked.

"That brings back memories…" Shaak Ti said, gazing off into space.

Ahsoka chose a movie, and Shaak Ti returned to Anakin's lap.

She turned her head to see the screen, enjoying the feeling of Anakin's skin against hers.

 _What did I do to deserve him?_

# # #

 _Please review and leave your thoughts._


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: So sorry for how long it took to post, I've been really busy the past three weeks. I'll try to be more regular in my posting, but school has been crazy lately so I won't be able to post chapters as regularly as I did with chapters 1-7. Thank you for your patience and understanding! I hope you enjoy the story!_

In Love With A Master

Chapter 8

Ahsoka was sitting on the couch, lazily flipping through the channels on the HoloTV. Anakin and Shaak Ti had left early to inform the Council of their attendance at the funeral. Her mind began to wander, and she thought of all the things that had happened in the past four months. Not too long ago, she was on the _Resolute_ with her Master, somewhere in the Outer Rim. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember.

# # #

She was in the mess hall, talking to Rex and some of the 501st. They were discussing the war, laughing about some of the more _interesting_ missions they had done. She was leaning on Rex, worried she would fall over from laughter. Her fun was interrupted when her wrist-comm started beeping.

"Ahsoka, meet Obi Wan and I on the bridge, immediately."

"Yes, Master," she said, disappointed that her fun had to end.

She said goodbye to the clones, and walked out the door. She was talking in the hallway with Rex on the way to the turbolift, when the alarms started blaring. She took off running towards the lift, with the captain of the 501st not far behind.

When they arrived on the bridge, she could see an intense dogfight between droid starfighters and their own ships. There was a separatist fleet not too far behind, with the greenish-blue glow of the planet in the background.

The bridge crew were frantically calling out status updates and yelling commands to each other, their voices melding into a dull roar.

"Admiral, scramble all fighters! Snips, let's go too!" he yelled, struggling to be heard over the commotion of the bridge.

They hopped into their starfighters, and moments later they were engulfed in a sea of ships. Vulture droids buzzed left and right, as Ahsoka tried to intercept them and protect her own men at the same time.

Her Master's usual antics and light-hearted banter were nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a seriousness that she rarely witnessed.

While she was trying to get a droid fighter off Broadside's tail, when her HUD showed an engine fire. She rapidly lost maneuvering control, and began a death-spiral towards the surface of the planet. She entered the atmosphere, and all she could see out of the cockpit was fire from entering the atmosphere. The last thing she saw was the distinctive bluish-green glow of the planet's jungles, before she blacked out from excessive G-forces.

She awoke to the sight of the hazy-brown sky of Felucia. She turned her head, and saw the burning wreck of her ship.

 _Or at least what was left_.

She heard a series of high-pitched beeps and chirps, at first thinking she was hallucinating. She was surprised, then, to see her trusty astromech, R7-A7, standing over her. She placed her hand on the droid's leg, using it to lift herself up. She scanned her surroundings, trying to find _somewhere_ she could take shelter. She had too many bad memories of the local wildlife, and didn't want to end up like the clones she had seen torn to pieces by the beasts.

They hadn't gone more than a couple hundred meters away from the ship, when her memories got _much_ more vivid. She heard the distinctive shriek of an Acklay, a beast with 6 razor-sharp legs and menacing fangs. It charged at them, making quick work of R7. Ahsoka force leapt onto the creature's back, trying to stab it through the skull. It threw her onto her back, its legs ready to impale her.

She felt a sense of impending doom, when the creature suddenly collapsed. She saw smoke coming from its eye, and a fresh blaster hole. She looked for the source of the shooter, when a clone in green camouflage armor appeared from the jungle.

He offered a hand, and she gratefully accepted. He lifted her to her feet, and pointed into the jungle. "There will be more. We have to leave."

She nodded, and followed him into the mass of trees. He put a finger to his lips, signalling for quiet. He directed his finger to the left, and she understood why he was so hesitant: he spotted a sleeping acklay. Having almost died in her last encounter with the terrible creature, she understood his caution. They silently crept past the beast, only resuming a normal pace once they had put distance between themselves and it.

They finally arrived at a damaged AT-TE, and remnants of the battles prior were apparent in the burn marks on the ship. He opened the side hatch, revealing an interior that had been transformed into a semi-permanent shelter. There were makeshift cots along the wall, and through the other doorways she could see what appeared to be a "kitchen" (if it could be called one), a storage area, an armory, and a command centre. There were two other clones in the room; one with armor similar to her rescuer, and the other one's indicating he was a demolitions expert.

They stared at the Jedi, obviously unaccustomed to seeing females dressed so brazenly.

"Who are you?"

"I am Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Padawan. Who are you?"

The three clones in the room snapped to attention at the word "Jedi." "Crackshot," said the one that had rescued her. "This is Ghost," he said, pointing to the trooper with armor similar to his. "And _this_ is Joker." The demolitions trooper waved, and she smiled back at him.

Crackshot turned back to her. "There are three others: Coil, Crash, and Omen. Now, what's your story?"

He pulled up a chair that looked like the one normally found in the tank's cockpit, and patted it with his hand. She accepted his offer, getting cozy before speaking. Crackshot sat on a bench with Ghost, while Joker sat on the floor with his back against the wall.

"I was with the fleet aboard the _Resolute_ , along with Generals Skywalker and Kenobi." They seemed to recognize the names, or at least Ahsoka thought they did.

"We were passing by this planet when a Separatist fleet emerged from hyperspace in front of us. They sent _a lot_ of droid fighters at us, and their batteries opened fire. We scrambled our fighters, and I joined them. I was trying to get a droid off Broadside, one of my men, when I was shot down. I entered the atmosphere, and the next thing I remember is waking up on the ground near the burning wreck of my ship with my droid. Crackshot can tell the rest," she said, glancing at him.

"She was attacked by an Acklay, and lucky for her I was out on patrol when I heard it. I killed it, and brought her here. Not much else to tell," he said matter-of-factly. The other two nodded, having encountered the creatures before.

She yawned, and Ghost stood up.

"If you're a Jedi, then you technically outrank us, right?"

She looked at him. " _Technically_ , yes. But I don't think that matters much here, so don't worry about it. You can just call me Ahsoka."

Ghost paused for a moment, obviously trying to process the Jedi's lack of formality and down-to-earth attitude. He looked at Crackshot, and she could sense the familiarity between the two. They looked at each other, seemingly having a conversation without having to speak. Finally, Ghost nodded, and went into another room.

Ahsoka was about to speak, but Joker beat her to it. "He's just going to fetch the others. We can't keep you all to ourselves, can we?"

She laughed, flattered by the clone's kind words.

A moment later, Ghost reappeared with three other clones. One was wearing white armor with light-yellow accents, and an insignia on his shoulder indicating his status as a medic. The second one was wearing white armor as well, although the helmet he held against his side was unique to combat engineers. The third had gunship pilot armor, the two ports on the chest for oxygen tubes being the giveaway.

Joker chimed in from the other side of the room. "May I present the rest of our merry band of marauders," he said. "Omen, the medic and glue of our group, Coil, the most brilliant mechanic I've ever met, and last, _but certainly not least_ , Crash, the best damn pilot in the galaxy and single largest expense to the republic, hence the name." She waved at the three clones, and Crash blushed.

She heard her stomach growl, and apparently Ghost did, too.

"Hungry?" he asked. "Actually, yeah. I haven't eaten all day, and between the crash landing and getting attacked by the local wildlife, I'm starving."

Ghost chuckled. "Well, let's see what we have. Hopefully you're a better cook than us."

He got up and went towards one of the four doors in the room. Ahsoka followed, assuming he was headed to the kitchen.

She was surprised when they arrived at the armory. "I'm no expert… but this _definitely_ isn't the kitchen," she said, puzzled.

"Well, we don't exactly have a food supply depot nearby," he said, picking up a sniper rifle, "so we eat whatever we can find, or _kill_."

Crackshot came into the room, his rifle already slung over his shoulder. The two clones at each other, locking eyes for a brief moment, and then nodded.

"Crackshot and I will be out hunting. As for you… We need someone to accompany the doc while he gathers medicines and edible plants. Do you feel up to it?"

"Absolutely," she said. "A lightsaber could come in handy."

Ghost nodded, and they returned to the main room. When she arrived, the medic, "Omen," was already waiting for her. He had his arms folded across his chest, and since his helmet was on, she couldn't see his facial expressions. He was wearing a backpack, and had a blaster carbine attached to the side. He waved his hand, beckoning her to follow. They exited the artificially-lit interior of the AT-TE, replaced by the slightly hazy atmosphere of the Felucian jungle. He started walking into the woods, with Ahsoka following close behind.

They walked in silence for a while. Ahsoka wasn't sure how to break the ice, and Omen didn't provide any help. He seemed to her as the strong and silent type. She thought that was odd, since normally clone medics were talkative and easy-going, but also serious. He was different somehow.

Finally they came upon a large tree, surrounded by a moss, glowing bright blue. The medic gathered the moss in silence, only speaking when asking for something from his bag.

Ahsoka couldn't stand the quiet. She was so used to her Master always talking and the lively conversations all around her from the clones. She wanted to break the ice. He was methodically gathering the plants, digging them up with a small trowel and placing them in containers.

"So…" she said, "why do they call you Omen?"

He stopped his work, and turned his head to look at her. He took off his helmet, and stared into her eyes, trying to judge her intentions. When he was satisfied that she was genuinely curious, he un-furrowed his brow.

"They call me Omen, because the guys always said I had a knack for anticipating what would happen. Whether it was the time, place, or way the droids would attack, or something else, I was usually right. Not sure why, and I don't want to brag."

"That's pretty incredible," she said.

" _Yeah_ ," he said sarcastically.

"You don't like it?"

"No, I don't. I've been approached more times than I care to count to be reassigned to strategy and planning, but I don't want to. I like being a medic, so I just want to be left alone. Getting stranded on this planet has actually been kinda nice, since I don't have anyone nagging me to switch jobs."

They both started laughing. They were interrupted when his wrist-comm started beeping.

"Omen, where are you? You're usually right on time," said another male voice, and by his tone Ahsoka assumed it was Ghost.

"Sorry sir, I think I got _distracted_ ," he said, looking at Ahsoka and holding back a chuckle. "I'll be back shortly. I have medicines _and_ something edible."

Ghost acknowledged, and ended the transmission.

"Come on, kid. We'd better get moving," he said. "Trust me, you _don't_ want to be out after sunset. All kinds of nasty things come out, and I don't particularly enjoy treating bite wounds."

She couldn't contain her laughter, so she just let it happen while they walked back. He joined in, but abruptly stopped when they were near the shelter.

When they arrived, Crackshot greeted them. He helped them carry the backpack inside, looking around one more time before sealing the hatch.

# # #

Ahsoka had offered to help in the kitchen, but after witnessing the clones' apparent lack of culinary skills, ended up doing most of the cooking. She didn't have much to work with: a large helping of Acklay meat that Ghost and Crackshot brought back, some roots and other plants marked "edible" by Omen, and ration cubes. She looked at the ingredients with promise, and got to work.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and looked at the fruits of her labor with a sense of accomplishment. In the span of two hours, she had made a delicious meal, a nice change from the clones' regular meals of raw vegetables and cooked meat. She went to find Omen, excited to present her meal to the group. She couldn't carry it all by herself, and she wanted to surprise everyone else. Joker had popped his head into the kitchen a few times, trying to get a snack or take a small piece of meat. Every time, she sensed him coming in, and used the force to shut the door on him. Omen came by once, and she let him in to see what she was making. His jaw dropped at the sight of the food, and Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh.

She and Omen took the platters of food out to the rest of the men, gathered around a table made of a large stump, with chairs from other areas of the vehicle. They shared the same look of surprise and excitement that she had seen on Omen, and felt a sense of pride. They immediately dug into their meals, only occasionally pausing to breathe. In less than an hour, the entire meal was gone.

They all sat back in their chairs, full and content. Joker broke the silence.

"Ahsoka, I don't know if you Jedi have some sort of superpower, but you managed to turn dinner from simply _eating_ into the nicest meal I've ever had. Thank you."

She looked at him and smiled, stretching her arms in the air and yawning.

Coil stood up. "Ahsoka, Ghost," he said, addressing the two highest ranking people in the room, "with your permission, I'd like to go with Crash and take a look at the starfighter. With any luck, we can repair our long-range transmitters and get off this rock."

Ghost nodded.

"Can I come with you? My droid, R7, might be able to help us - assuming you can get him working again," Ahsoka said.

"What happened?" Coil asked.

"He… got his head torn off by an Acklay."

"I can't say anything for certain until I take a look. An astromech would be helpful if we can get a working transmitter."

She nodded, and got up from her seat.

"Ghost?" She asked.

"Hmm?"

"Where do you guys sleep? I'm beat."

He looked at Coil.

"Right this way, sir," Coil said.

She followed him out the door, until they arrived in a room with several bunk beds.

"Not exactly a hotel, but it's better than nothing, right?"Coil said.

She nodded. He pointed to a bed on the far side of the room. "This one's empty, so it's yours if you want. If you don't like it, I'm sure Ghost can come up with something else."

"No, that will be fine, Coil. Thank you," she said. He walked towards the door. She got on her bed, eager to fall asleep. She could hear his thoughts, and started blushing when she saw that he was looking fondly at her backside, probably using his helmet's 360o vision to remain unnoticed. She enjoyed the attention, but nothing more. She closed her eyes, letting her body drift off to sleep.

# # #

Ahsoka awoke to the sound of clanging on metal.

"Rise and shine, everyone! It's 0600, and we have _a lot_ of work to do if we want to leave this godforsaken planet!"Ghost announced as loud as possible

The sudden bright lights hurt her eyes, so it took a minute to adjust. Ghost continued to bang on a piece of scrap metal, getting louder and louder until the clones were on their feet. He looked over at Ahsoka, and stopped his banging.

"Ahsoka, we'll give you a minute alone, if you'd like."

She agreed, and they silently left the room. It was dead quiet, and the only sound she could hear was her boots hitting the metal floor as she put them on.

When she was dressed, she went to the site of their meal the night before. Omen was handing out plates, filled with meat and vegetables.

She cast a playful look at him. His expression remained the same as always, serious and emotionless, but she could see the excitement in his eyes. He finished distributing the food, putting a plate next to him and beckoning her to sit. She joined him, happy that he seemed to trust her.

She had concluded that his lack of emotion and constant seriousness were just a mask, hiding his true nature of a playful, fun-loving individual. She didn't understand why he was so reserved, but decided to ask him about it when they were alone.

Joker, Coil, and Crash were engaged in a lively conversation, and from what she heard, they were comparing how many droids each had destroyed. Ghost and Crackshot were discussing the day's agenda, meticulously planning out everybody's work schedule. Omen was silent, intently focused on his meal. Ahsoka nudged herself closer to him.

"So, Omen, what's up?" she asked. He didn't respond, his eyes fixed on his plate. He had stopped eating, sitting there motionless. She nudged herself even closer, until their bodies were pressed together. He looked around, as if coming out of a trance. He realized that the young Togrutan was pressing up against him, and scooted away only enough to break physical contact with the Jedi, but still remain close to her. Ahsoka realized this, and smiled at him. He smiled back, making sure his brothers didn't see.

"You OK?" she asked, placing her hand on his arm for reassurance. He nodded, moving his arm ever so slightly as if to shake her off, before hesitating and remaining still. He looked nervous, and felt even more so. He knew the Jedi could read his thoughts, and started blushing in embarrassment.

"Ahsoka, are you reading my mind?" he asked, the nervousness apparent in his voice.

She adopted a look of concern. "Of course not, Omen. I wouldn't do it without permission."

He nodded, confident that she was telling the truth.

 _She is even more beautiful than yesterday,_ he thought to himself, _more beautiful than anyone I've ever seen. She's not aloof like the other Jedi, and she treats us like individuals, not simply expendable troops._

Everyone else was finishing their food, and Omen realized that he still had a ways to go. He ate as quickly as possible, only pausing to breathe. He finished just as his brothers were picking up their plates, rushing to join them. He took Ahsoka's plate as well, leaving her alone at the table. She got up, and followed the men into another room, which she hadn't seen before. It contained the large communicator and holo-projector, normally used for tactical planning as a war room. They gathered around the projector.

"Crackshot and I have everybody's assignments for the day. Coil and Crash, go with Ahsoka and try to salvage parts from her ship, and bring back the droid if you can. Omen, I want you to stay here with Joker and keep watch, while Crackshot and I are going to investigate the crashed droid troopship we found after we arrived. No questions? Good. Dismissed." 

Everyone went about their business without saying a word. Ghost and Crackshot set out towards the droid ship, while Ahsoka's party made their way to her wrecked starfighter, leaving Omen and Joker to stay behind.

The two clones hadn't been alone before, just the two of them. Neither spoke much at first.

Joker tried to occupy his time by cleaning weapons, while Omen worked on making medicines. Eventually, Joker got bored and went to find Omen. He didn't ever hear the medic say much, so he hoped today would be different.

Omen was preparing an anti-bacterial from the blue moss he had collected earlier with Ahsoka, when Joker entered the room.

"Whats up Doc?" he asked.

Omen turned around and glared at him, annoyed that he had disrupted his work. Joker wasn't phased, so he pulled up a chair.

"Thought I'd come keep you company. It can't be healthy to be alone so often."

"I like to be alone," Omen said.

"He speaks! You know I've barely heard you talk since I met you. I don't understand why you don't like talking to all of us-"

"It's not that I don't like to, I just don't have anything to say."

"Nonsense, Omen. We'd love to have your company. I'm sure you have some good stories, right?"

He nodded.

"Great. If you don't need me-"

"Actually," Omen interrupted, "could you stay for a while? Now that you mention it, I am feeling kinda lonely."

Joker patted him on the back. "That's the spirit! Now, I have a serious question for you," he said, looking at Omen.

"Yes?"

"This is a two part question: First, how lucky are we to have a smokin' hot Jedi crashland here? Second, on a scale of one to ten, how kriffin' hot is Ahsoka? Don't be shy, I won't tell."

"Joker, she is a Jedi, and she outranks us. Besides, I don't think of her that way."

"Ooh. How do you think of her then, Omen? I'm curious," he said, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his palms.

"Well, I definitely don't think of her like _that_. I respect her; she is a Jedi, and a Commander. She seems nice enough, and definitely different than all the Jedi I've encountered. She treats us as individuals, not just expendable soldiers. Besides, she's just a kid."

Joker seemed lost in thought, processing what his brother had just said. Finally, he spoke. "You're right, Omen. She definitely isn't like most Jedi. As for her age, we're not much younger. How old are you? 9? 10? See, not much different. Plus, she is really kriffin' hot."

Omen shook his head, and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Joker asked.

"You. I like how you had to end your serious, insightful comment by stating how kriffin' hot she is. Don't you think I've noticed? I'm just trying not to think about it incase she reads our minds. Trust me, I've slipped up and thought about it, but not when she was around."

"Well, I _seriously_ hope she hasn't seen what I've been thinking. It's _very_ naughty. Definitely not something a Jedi would consider _appropriate_."

They both burst out laughing at the idea of a Jedi seeing the clones' thoughts about them, and how they would react.

For the first time since meeting the other stranded clones, Omen laughed. They laughed for a while, and that's how Coil, Crash, and Ahsoka found them when they returned.

# # #

Coil, Crash, and Ahsoka set out for the remains of Ahsoka's starfighter.

The two clones smiled at the wreck.

"At least it's not on fire," Ahsoka said.

"Yep! Coil, can you bring give the cutting tools? I'm going to try to extract the parts we need, while you go work on the droid."

He handed him a republic-issue tool box, complete with everything mechanics could possibly need. Crash took out a large plasma torch, igniting it and applying it to the surface of the ship. She stood guard, wary of another surprise visit from an Acklay or some of the other wildlife.

After a few minutes, Coil returned with the carcass of R7. He set it down on the ground, grabbing something from the toolbox before setting the droid body upright. He removed the back panel, exposing a multitude of wires. Ahsoka couldn't see what he was doing, but assumed that he would reconnect the wires that had been severed when the droid's head detached.

Unlike her time with Omen, she didn't need to break the ice; Crash and Coil were more than happy to talk to her.

"Ahsoka, which legion were you assigned to?" Crash asked.

"The 501st, with my Master, Anakin Skywalker."

He stopped what he was doing, allowing his jaw to drop. "Y-you mean _the_ Anakin Skywalker?"

She nodded.

"Every clone knows his name. Word is that he's the most _creative_ and reckless Jedi out there."

"My Master definitely has a very _unorthodox_ way of doing things, but I don't know if I'd call him reckless," she said.

Crash turned his head back to look at his work.

"Crash, did I ever tell you the story about that time on Geonosis?"

"Which one? I've lost count of how many times we've been sent to that kriffin' hell hole," he replied.

"The first time, Crash. Were you there?"

"Nope. I was completing my training on Kamino."

"Well, you missed _such_ a fun time. Anyways, there we were, stranded in the open after our gunship was shot down. The other gunships had either landed or crashed, and we had most of our AT-TEs intact. Our Jedi general told us to push forward, and my commander told me to salvage whatever I could from the gunships. He saw me running to put the salvaged parts in one of the tanks and started yelling, 'CT-1458, what the kriff is that?' The only thing I could take from our gunship was a fusion coil, which in most circumstances would've been useless on a tank. Luckily for us, we had to use it as an improvised bomb to blow up a canyon entrance. That's how I got my name."

Crash almost doubled over laughing. "Kriff, Coil, I always knew you were deficient. I can imagine your commander yelling at you right now! Haha!"

"Yea, my CO was a real hardass. No breaks, no fun. It wasn't _my_ fault that the ammunition depot blew up, but since he didn't like me he chose to blame it on me, even after the Jedi proved my innocence. I always hated him, but he was a good soldier. Last I heard, he was the one of the last men alive on some planet in the Outer rim, when he charged into a Seppie tank column with armed genades in each hand, and backpack full of them, yelling 'Kiss my ass, Dooku!' He was a good man. If I'll remember one thing from serving under him, its to always stay clear of the ammo dump when there's an explosion, so I can't be blamed."

Crash started laughing again, followed by a fit of coughing. Ahsoka went over to check on him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, placing one hand on his chest, and the other on his back. From this angle, he could clearly see the gentle valley between her perky breasts. He tried as hard as he could not to stare, but eventually his eyes quickly darted down to peek. He hoped she didn't notice.

"You're very beautiful, Ahsoka," he said. "Your eyes look like stars in the night sky."

She smiled. "Thank you, Crash. You're a real charmer."

He nodded, before his eyes involuntarily darted down to peek at her exposed midriff, before returning to her eyes. She noticed this time, and pulled him in close.

"Crash, am I the first woman to be this physically close to you?"

He nodded again, his cheeks red with embarrassment. She positioned herself in front of him, blocking him from Coil's sight. "It's alright Crash. I don't care if you look, just as long as you don't make it very obvious; it's only natural. Besides, I like the attention. But, no touching. Understand?"

"Of course, Ahsoka. I wouldn't even consider doing something like that."

She smiled again. "I'm glad we understand each other." She stood up and turned around, walking in a way that purposefully made her ass shake. She could sense that he enjoyed it.

 _Just boosting morale,_ she thought.

"What about you, Crash? What did you have to do to get that name?"

"Not as elaborate as yours, unfortunately. I was a great pilot, top of my class. Unfortunately, I always seem to get into situations when I get shot down. By my count, I've been shot down twelve times, at least. Not because I'm a bad pilot, mind you. I was first called 'Crash' in pilot school, when I single-handedly took down an entire squadron of droid fighters and passed the test, top of my class. Unfortunately, one of the droids hit my starboard nacelle near the end of the test, so I was forced to crash land. I ejected, and the ship left a nice hole in the wall. Since then, I've been shooting down more droids than I can count, although almost always losing my ship in the end. Not much else to tell."

"What about you, Ahsoka? What's your story?"

Coil and Crash turned around, eyes fixed intently on her.

"Well, I was assigned to my Master personally by Yoda. The Council sent me to deliver a message to he and Master Kenobi on Christophsis, that Jabba the Hutt's son had been kidnapped. We've been together ever since. I can't remember how many missions we've been on, how many times one of us crashed the ship, or we almost got killed."

Crash started laughing. "See! I'm not the only one that loses the ship!"

She nodded. "My Master is one hell of a pilot, but he has a bad track record with bringing ships back in one piece. He likes to say that he's mastered the art of landing _half_ a ship."

Crash actually fell over this time, laughing uncontrollably on the ground. Once he regained his composure, he resumed work on the droid.

"I've got it!" Crash exclaimed. "The comms system in Ahsoka's fighter is completely undamaged. Problem is that I don't think I can lift it out of here."

As if on cue, Ahsoka used the force to gently levitate the unit from the hole in the hull, gently placing it on the ground next to Crash.

"Incredible!" he shouted. "I know that you Jedi can lift things without touching them, but I've never seen it for myself."

She smiled at her handiwork. She heard a familiar beeping, and turned around to see a functioning R7.

"R7! How are ya buddy?" She hugged the droid, dusting off its head.

"He's good as new," Coil stated. "Now, if we're all done here, I'd like to get back to the ship. This place gives me the creeps."

# # #

Ghost and Crackshot used the speeder they had repaired to investigate the crashed droid ship. Ghost took the driver's seat, with Crackshot in the sidecar. They followed the path markers they had made when they found the ship, driving slowly to avoid hitting the densely-packed trees.

When they finally arrived, they found the ship to be largely intact. There was damage to the propulsion wings, but the troop hold and cockpit seemed untouched. They scanned for droid signatures, but interference from the planet's atmosphere prevented accurate readings. So, they had to investigate on foot.

The two scouts pried open the side entrance hatch before warily setting foot inside. They activated their headlamps and night vision.

The troop hold was full of deactivated battle droids of all kinds, stacked from floor to ceiling, across the ceiling, and filling all the space in between the walls.

"Ghost, take a look at this," Crackshot said, pointing at the wall-to-wall battle droids."

"Looks like this ship has a full battalion," he remarked. "The droids in the cockpit look a bit worse for wear, but mostly intact. I checked out some of the other droid troop compartments - they've got supers, including those new rocket jumper supers, as well as a whole lot of commandos."

"I _hate_ commandos. They just don't die like they're supposed to."

Ghost laughed. "Let's go see what they have in terms of heavy weapons, shall we?"

The two clones made their way to the aft compartment, unsure of what to expect. When they opened the hatch, they were shocked.

"I bet you I've killed every one of these at least once," Crackshot joked.

"I bet you've never killed an MTT before," Ghost responded. "I also see droid tanks, hailfires, alliance tank droids, spider walkers and dwarf spider droids."

"Look over there," Crackshot said. "Are those destroyer droids?"

"Yea, and I see a few sniper models in there too."

Crackshot nervously gulped. "Let's take a few more scans, and get out of here. I don't know what it is, but something doesn't feel right, and I don't want to be here to find out what it is."

Ghost agreed, so the two exited the ship, carefully sealing the hatch as they left. When they returned, they found the others sitting around the dinner table, laughing and sharing stories. The room grew silent when the scouts entered.

"What did you find, sir?" Joker asked.

"We'll show you. Come to the war room."

Ghost activated the large holo-projector, displaying the droid ship and the surrounding foliage. "This is the ship, as we found it. It's propulsion systems are damaged, and the droids are offline. We don't know if it has power, but we have to assume that it does. From what we saw, they have an entire battalion in there, including heavy droids and vehicles. Crackshot told me that he remembers seeing a downed republic transport ship nearby, and if we're lucky, it has some heavy weapons onboard. Best case scenario, the ship isn't too badly damaged, and we can use its communications system. It is more powerful than our current one, so we stand a better chance of reaching someone in the republic. Worst case scenario, we make due with this tank's comms and hope for the best. Tomorrow, Crackshot and I will go look around the droid ship some more, and see if there's anything worth taking. The rest of you will go investigate the supply ship, and see what we can use to get a signal out. Until then, I want Crash and Coil working on our comms systems here, so use the astromech if you can. Everyone else, divide up tasks among yourselves. We still need something to eat tonight, two people on sentry duty, someone to take inventory, and someone to assist the cook. Alright, class dismissed."

# # #

 _As always, please leave your thoughts below in the reviews._


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter, I've been really busy lately. I hope you like it!_

 **Chapter 9**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

Crackshot and Ghost left the room, leaving the other five to pick tasks for themselves.

Joker spoke first. "I think we can all agree that AHsoka should cook, unless you want to end up under Omen's watchful eye." They all laughed, even Omen.

"Alright, I'll cook. Who wants to join me?" Ahsoka asked.

Omen raised his hand immediately.

"Someone seems eager to spend time with her," Joker remarked, gently elbowing Omen in the rib.

He didn't respond, but Ahsoka could sense his embarrassment. She shot a dirty look at Joker, and he stopped jabbing Omen.

"I can ask Ghost if he and Crackshot will take sentry duty while I worry about inventory," Joker said. "If they agree, then I think we have everything covered."

Joker ran off with Coil and Crash following close behind, leaving Omen and Ahsoka alone.

"Ready to watch me burn dinner?" Omen asked, looking at her playfully.

"Let's try _not_ to do that, if that's ok with you," she said kindly. Her eyes met his, and she could see the spark in his eyes. He broke eye contact, his cheeks turning bright red from embarrassment.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" he said, trying to change the topic. Ahsoka could sense that something was troubling him, but decided it was best to leave it alone for now.

She turned on the oven, still not sure what to make with the limited choices in ingredients.

"And here we are, the finest ingredients on all of Felucia!" Omen exclaimed. He had categorized each item on the table, and split them up into nice piles.

"I forgot how much attention to detail you clones have," she said. She started with the leftovers of the acklay meat, while she asked Omen to go look for some kind of grain or flour. They looked somewhat like steaks, insomuch that they had a similar shape. She took the best seven cuts and placed them on the counter. She removed some of the excess fat, placing it off to the side. She used an improvised tenderizer (courtesy of Coil) on the meat, making it easier to chew, and then began to cut it into small chunks. She turned on the stove, and poured cooking oil into a large pot, when Omen returned. He was holding a box that said "grains," and had a republic emblem. He put it down next to the meat, and stood next to her.

"How can I help?" he asked.

"Give me just a moment, and I'll tell you," she said, smiling briefly at him before returning her focus to the food.

Omen just watched her work. _She is even more beautiful when she's focused,_ he thought to himself. _What am I thinking? She can read my thoughts! I hope she's too busy to pay attention_.

He nodded, eyeing the spatula with curiosity before getting to work. Meanwhile, Ahsoka opened the box, and was surprised to find packets of Dantooine wheat and yeast. She ground some of the wheat into flour, placing it in a mixing bowl with water. Omen informed her that the fat had melted, so she instructed Omen to mix the flour and water together, and put in a teaspoon of sugar. Ahsoka was cutting up the meat, and Omen was almost finished making dough.

"Ahsoka, I think it's done. What's next?"

"If it's done, then mix in some yeast and pour the whole thing into that glass pan."

He wasn't sure what it meant for dough to "rise," but then again, what did he know about cooking?

They worked mostly in silence, each too busy to start a conversation. After Omen had finished with the dough, he and Ahsoka worked on preparing the vegetables. They diced the roots and vegetables, and placed them in the pot with the meat. They made a satisfying "hiss" when they fell into the oil. She placed a lid on the pot, and went over to the now-risen bread. She carefully lifted it out of the pan, taking in the wonderful smell. They sat down on chairs that Omen had brought earlier, finally able to relax.

"Now all we have to do is wait about 30 minutes or so before taking the pot roast out and placing it on a platter."

"I guess we have some time on our hands then," he said.

She smiled at him, and the two sat there, unsure of what to say next. After about ten minutes, Ahsoka broke the awkward silence that had built up in the room.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a hot shower right about now," she said, looking at Omen.

"Agreed. The showers in the barracks were never hot, but at least it was better than an ice bath."

She burst out laughing. "I don't think I've taken a cold shower in my life," she said, placing a hand on his arm.

"Nor have I. The showers were always lukewarm, so I guess I can't complain," he said. "But, I've never taken a shower by myself. The barracks only have communal refreshers."

She began laughing again, this time unable to remain in her chair. They were sitting close to each other, so when she began to fall sideways, Omen's muscular body caught her fall. She kept laughing, only pausing occasionally to take a breath. Omen was laughing as well. His instincts told him to place a hand on her arm or pull her closer to him, but he was too afraid that she would think less because of it. So, he kept his hands to himself, watching her body "vibrate" as she laughed. After a few minutes, she pulled herself off his chest, sitting upright and wiping tears from her eyes. She caught her breath, and once the aftershocks of laughter had subsided, got up to check the pot roast.

"Omen! I think it's ready. Assemble the troops."

He rushed out of the kitchen, not wanting to keep his brothers from one of their favorite activities: eating. When he returned, she had placed the contents of the pot onto a large platter, with a smaller one containing the bread and a knife.

They brought it to the dining room, and waited for the others to arrive.

# # #

Ghost and Crackshot were circling the perimeter of the base, each keeping a watchful eye for threats, when Omen came running out to them.

"What is it, Omen?" Crackshot asked.

"Dinner is served," he proclaimed.

Ghost and Crackshot looked at each other. "Who's going to keep watch?" Crackshot asked.

"Let the droid do it," Ghost replied. "It'll comm us if something's up. Besides, I'm starving."

The three clones went inside, and joined Ahsoka in the dining area.

# # #

Crash and Coil were in the war room, trying to interface the communications unit from the starfighter with the AT-TE's antenna, while R7 assisted them.

"R7, try to bypass the security locks on the starfighter's comm unit."

The droid's data probe twisted and spun in the interface. The holoprojector flashed for a moment, before turning off again.

"Why won't this work!?" Coil yelled, banging his fist against the floor.

Crash rubbed his eyes. "Coil, we've been at this for the past two hours. I think we need a break."

R7 let out a series of beeps.

"What did he say?"

"He says that the comm unit is using newer software than this AT-TE, so they are incompatible," Crash said.

"Fek! Fek Fek Fek!" Coil was fuming. "You're telling me that a SOFTWARE UPDATE is the reason we can't call for help and get off this rock!?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

R7 emitted a series of frantic beeps and chirps.

"What did he say now, Crash?"

"He's getting hysterical, but if I'm understanding him correctly, a seppie communication unit _should_ be compatible with our systems." 

"Well that's real helpful! Where are we going to get one in the MIDDLE OF FEKKIN' NOWHERE?"

"Coil, you need to calm down. I hate being here as much as you do, but getting angry won't solve anything."

Coil took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before responding. "You're right. Let's go tell Ghost the bad news."

They left the room, with the droid following close behind. They arrived in the dining area, and found the others already seated.

"Ah, Coil! Come join us. Oh, and send the droid outside. He's on guard duty during dinner," Ghost said.

The two clones sat down, eagerly awaiting the meal Ahsoka had prepared.

"What's the holdup? I'm starving," Crash said.

Ghost glared at him.

"I mean, how can I help Ahsoka?"

She covered her mouth, not wanting the others to see her giggling.

"We're just waiting on Joker," she said.

Ghost activated his comm. "Joker, get in here. We're waiting for you."

"Absolutely sir. It's not nice to make a lady wait on a date," he said.

Ghost started laughing. "Very funny. Now, what are you doing?"

"Just finishing up, sir."

"Well stop doing your job and come eat! I can't have soldiers that put work before relaxation in this unit!"

Just as Ghost was ending the transmission, Joker burst into the room and sat down, out of breath.

"Excellent time, Joker! I wish all of the GAR was as motivated as you," he said.

Ahsoka and Omen brought out the platters, and everyone's mouths started watering. They served everyone, each grateful to have something other than ration cubes.

Joker was about to take a bite, when Ghost glared at him from across the table. He put down his fork, and patiently waited for Ahsoka and Omen to sit down. As soon as their bodies touched the chair, everyone started eating. Omen sat next to Ahsoka, with enough distance between them that she could extend her arm half-way.

"Come closer Omen! I don't bite."

He pulled his chair a little closer, still nervous about too much physical contact with the Jedi. She wasn't satisfied, so she pulled his chair until they were only inches apart. Omen still couldn't understand why she insisted on such close proximity.

While Ahsoka and Omen talked to each other, the others were laughing and sharing stories from the war.

"So I'm pinned down with two other guys, right? We've only got two rockets, some droid poppers, and some blasters against four tanks and some battle droids. Our commander turns to us and says 'Gentlemen, we don't have much to work with. We'll use the rockets to take out the two tanks, but I want you to climb the last two and give 'em a present.' So he destroys the two tanks, and I'm charging towards the third when they all shut down. I'm left standing there, grenade in hand, completely confused. Our Jedi general comes over with a pad in hand. Turns out he had managed to send a shutdown order to all the remaining droids on the planet. So the commander turns to me and says, 'that's why they outrank us.'" As Joker was finishing his story, Omen scooted his chair closer to them.

"Look who decided to join the party!" Joker said. "And here I thought you just didn't like us."

"That's not true at all. I just don't have any interesting stories like you guys; I'm just a medic."

"Are you kidding me, Omen?" Ghost said. "Medics are the heart and soul of the GAR. Without them, I probably wouldn't be here right now."

"I never thought of it that way, Ghost. I like being a medic, but I guess I never thought it was as exciting as being on the front lines."

"Nonsense! Without you guys, we would've run out of clones a long time ago! So don't tell me you don't have any good stories."

"Well, there was this one time…"

Ahsoka stopped paying attention, but she was glad that Omen was finally bonding with his brothers. The usual back-and-forth banter and constant interruptions were replaced by intense focus from the other clones, shushing each other if they dared interrupt Omen.

"... So we cleaned up the mess, and the Jedi told us he'd give us a medal for 'superior mop skills.'"

They roared out in laughter, and even Ahsoka couldn't help but chuckle, at least a little.

Once their laughter had subsided, Ghost restored order. They all went to the armory, unsure of what to expect on their missions.

Ghost and Crackshot grabbed blaster rifles and pistols, as well as a backpack full of droid poppers, grenades, and ammunition.

"You expecting trouble, gentlemen?" Joker asked.

"You can never be too careful," Crackshot replied. "Besides, all those deactivated droids give me the creeps."

Joker grabbed a minigun, straddling it across his shoulders. "I don't know what to expect, but whatever it is, they don't stand a chance."

Ghost smiled. "I always knew the demolitions guys were a bit too trigger happy," he said.

Omen grabbed a DC-15S carbine, and handed a rocket launcher to Crash.

"What's this for, then?" Crash asked.

"I call it 'total body makeover,'" he quipped.

"A doctor with a demo trooper's mind. I like it," Joker said, patting Omen on the shoulder.

Omen was wearing a medical backpack, chock-full of everything a doctor could need in the field. Coil had a backpack full of tools, and a blaster rifle. Once they were geared up, they processed out of the armory, single-file.

They met outside, wishing each other luck before setting off in different directions. Ghost was about to get on the speeder bike, when Crackshot stopped him.

"Can I drive this time?" Crackshot asked. Ghost thought about it for a moment, before stepping aside. He sat in the sidecar, and with a loud hiss, the two scouts zoomed off into the jungle.

R7 activated a holo-map from his eye-projector, and the group was off towards the supply ship.

# # #

They had been walking for almost two hours without seeing anything.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Crash asked. R7 activated the map, using a small red dot to indicate their position. He traced a straight red line from them to the ship.

They continued walking for a while longer, when Ahsoka noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"Look over there!" she said.

They stopped, turning their heads to where she was pointing. They saw a crashed ship, that had smashed directly into a tree, impaling the crew inside the cockpit. The rear of the ship was largely undamaged, save for some scrape marks.

"Should we investigate?" Coil asked.

"I'll ask the boss," Joker responded. He activated his wrist-comm, waiting patiently for a reply.

"You're there already? You should have been a runner."

"Actually, Ghost, we're still a ways out. We've found a crashed ship, so we wanted to ask you before investigating."

"Is there anyone inside?"

"Unless you count the ones with a tree branch through their stomach, no."

"Well take a look around, see if you can find anything useful. Ghost out."

Joker ended the transmission. "You heard him people. Let's oper her up."

Ahsoka used the force to rip the top hatch free of the ship, flinging it off to the side. Joker went inside first, followed by Crash.

"Find anything?" Ahsoka called from outside.

"Yep! All the riches of the galaxy! Seriously though, you'll be surprised. Close your eyes."

They did as he instructed, waiting until he had hoisted himself out of the ship.

When they opened their eyes, he was holding a strange looking weapon. It had two barrels placed horizontally next to each other, with a large handle protruding from the side of the weapon.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asked, confused by the strange object.

"This, children, is a _genuine_ Trandoshan scatter gun."

He loaded small yellow cartridges into the side, before pumping the handle on the side.

"A slug thrower? I didn't think anyone used those anymore," Coil said.

"Are you kidding? I've always wanted one of these. Besides, they're great for killing the wildlife around here."

Ahsoka shuddered at the thought of the Acklay.

"With some modifications, it would be great against droids too. All I need to do is fill some shells with explosive rounds or armor piercing ones."

Joker attached the weapon to his belt, returning his minigun to its former position, lying across his shoulders.

"Shall we continue?"

They walked for another hour before arriving at the remains of the republic supply ship. It looked mostly intact, save for a few burn marks on the outer hull. It was covered in dirt from the landing, and some of the gun turrets had come off.

"I don't sense anybody inside," Ahsoka said, "but this planet… something about it is interfering with my senses. I can't be sure."

Joker pumped his shotgun. "They don't stand a chance."

Ahsoka wasn't convinced, but they _needed_ the comms.

# # #

Ghost and Crackshot disembarked from the speeder, parking it nearby.

Ghost used his hand to signal for them to move inside. Crackshot held his rifle tight, half-expecting droids waiting to ambush them. They activated their night vision, proceeding carefully down the corridor towards the bridge. It was eerily quiet.

"What're you hoping to find?" Crackshot asked through their helmet comms.

"Power supplies, heavy weapons, and whatever else the Trade Federation has so generously supplied." Crackshot chuckled.

They entered the bridge, carefully stacking the droid pilots in a corner, and placing their weapons on the other side of the room. Ghost flipped a switch, and the lights flared on.

"That's better," he said.

While Crackshot went through the ship's manifest, Ghost was tearing out power supplies from every console he could find, placing them carefully in his backpack. They worked in silence, each too distracted to talk. Crackshot finished before Ghost, and began fiddling with a large servo he had taken out of one of the consoles.

Ghost stood up and looked at him. "Let's get out of here," he said. Crackshot placed the servo on top of the console, grabbing his bag and following Ghost through the door.

When they were finished, the two clones made a hasty exit from the ship, both more than eager to leave the haunting place.

# # #

Crash was leading Joker and Coil through the abandoned hallways of the ship as they made their way to the bridge. The team had split up, with Ahsoka and Omen going to the cargo bay. They stayed in constant contact, reporting in every five minutes.

"Joker checking in - all clear."

"Copy that. Ahsoka out."

Joker and Crash arrived to find the bridge in pristine condition, save for the remains of the bridge crew. Coil put down his bag, pulling out his toolkit. He eyed the various instruments, before selecting a fusion cutter. He went over to the large console in the middle of the room, removing the panel to expose the communications unit.

"Come to Coil," he said, cutting it out of its durasteel frame.

While he worked, Crash and Joker carried the bodies, placing them gently against the wall. They closed their eyes, and carefully removed their dog tags.

"Rest well, Vod," Joker said, unfastening one of the dead trooper's tags. He held them in his hand for a moment, before looking down to inspect them. He read the name and sighed. "Poor thing. He was only three months out of training."

"Can I get a little help over here?" Coil yelled from across the room.

The two clones ran to assist, each grabbing a side of the heavy comms unit as they slid it out of its housing. They placed it on the floor.

"Ahsoka, this is Coil. We have the comms unit. How are you doing down there?"

There was a long pause. "Ahsoka here. We're almost at the cargo bay. What's your status?"

"We have the comms unit, but its too heavy to carry with us. We'll need a speeder or something to lug it back to base."

"Just added it to our shopping list. Anything else you'd like?"

"A ship would be nice," Joker interjected.

"I'll see what I can do. Ahsoka out."

Ahsoka used the force to remove the door, tossing it aside. The room was pitch black, until Omen found the controls for the lights. At once, the room was lit up, revealing rows upon rows of items.

They looked for a vehicle first, hoping to find something that could carry a decent load, as well as a few passengers. They found a few speeders, but they were single-person scout bikes. Ahsoka kept looking, until Omen called to her.

"You're not going to believe what I found!" he shouted.

She ran over to him, just as surprised as he was when she saw it.

They found a pair of fighter tanks, fully fuelled and ready to go. There were cargo sleds already attached to each. There were several smaller cargo sleds nearby, which they could hitch to the speeders.

"I'll go start loading the supplies," Omen said. She nodded, and called Joker.

"Joker, please respond."

Joker was helping Crash collect power supplies from the bridge consoles. He hit the flashing green button on his wrist. "Go ahead Ahsoka."

"You won't believe what we found."

"A speeder?" he asked.

"Better. Two fighter tanks with cargo sleds, and a bunch of BARC speeders with cargo sleds."

"Fekkin' incredible!" he said.

"We'll load up the supplies and meet you outside. We'll probably have to make a few trips though. I'll contact you when we're ready. Ahsoka out."

Omen was loading medical supplies and food crates onto the sleds, while Ahsoka grabbed shield generators, mounted weapons, and other goodies.

She opened the cargo bay doors, hissing as they unsealed.

"Joker, we're outside. Come down at meet us. Ahsoka out."

# # #

Ahsoka and the four clones were heading back towards home base. She, Omen, and Joker were on speeders, while Crash and Coil piloted the tanks.

Her wrist comms started beeping. "Ghost here. What's your status?"

"We're on our way back with lots of goodies. Should arrive within the hour."

"Understood. Ghost out."

Ghost sat down at the dining table, taking off his helmet. He pulled out a pad, and began logging all of their activities since they crashed on the planet.

"What're you doing?" Crackshot asked, pulling up a chair next to him.

"Not much really," he said. "Just making a log of our time here."

"Well I hope it's almost finished, because I don't plan on being on this rock much longer."

# # #

The two scouts stood outside, greeting the others when they returned. Everyone began unloading supplies, while Ahsoka talked to Ghost.

"There are a lot more supplies we couldn't bring with us, including some more speeders. Should we make another run?"

Ghost watch as Joker and Crash carried the comm unit inside, struggling under its weight. "Let's take inventory first, then decide."

She nodded, and began force-lifting the crates off the sleds.

Joker walked over to Ghost.

"Sir, have you seen my new toy?"

Ghost looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Joker pulled out his Trandoshan shotgun, holding it out to Ghost. He grabbed the gun, inspecting it with curiosity. "What is it?" he asked.

"Trando slug thrower, sir. Shoots pellets in a large spread for maximum damage. With some modifications, it can also be used against droids."

"Well, just don't kill any of us with that thing," he said.

Joker nodded, holstering the weapon and returning to the others.

When they had finished unloading the supplies, Ghost beckoned everyone inside. Crash and Coil immediately began work on installing the new comm unit, Omen began unloading medical supplies from their crates, and Ghost went to inspect the rest.

# # #

Later that day, a thunderstorm hit the planet. The clones had already secured everything of value inside, and were huddled down in the dining room. Ahsoka had used the fresh food supplies they had recovered to make dinner.

"Ahsoka, this tops all the amazing meals you've made for us so far," Joker said between bites.

She smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

Ahsoka shared stories as they ate, telling everyone about her time with the 501st.

# # # 

Lighting struck a tree branch, sending it falling. It smashed into the droid ship, shaking everything inside the cockpit. The servo Crackshot had left on top of one of the console fell, lowering a lever on the panel below.

Red lights flashed throughout the ship, and alarms blared. The sound of hissing and clanking metal filled the air, as droids across the ship were released from their docking clamps. Everything from standard battle droids to the dreaded hailfires sprung to life. The pilots that Crackshot had so carefully piled against a wall stood up, inspecting their surroundings. The droid commander, unit 237, and a tactical droid, TV-102, went to the bridge. They activated the large holo-projector, and a map of the surrounding area appeared.

"In this weather, I advise against exiting the ship," TV-102 said in his robotic voice. "I suggest waiting until the storm has passed. 237, what is the status of our troops?"

"All troops running at peak efficiency," the commander said. "We'll be ready to mobilize in 6 hours."

"Excellent," TV-102 said.

# # #

The storm passed, and Ahsoka went out to investigate. Remarkably, the trees had fared well. They didn't show any signs of damage.

"Look at the trees," Ahsoka said.

"Omen, get a DNA sample. If they survived that storm, then they're stronger than any of us."

Ahsoka was leaning up against the AT-TE, talking to Ghost.

"We should try to establish communications with the Republic today," he said. "With any luck, we can be off this rock in a few days' time."

Ahsoka nodded.

Ghost was going over the day's tasks with her, watching Crackshot and Joker clear away debris.

"-and Crackshot and I will go hunting today."

She didn't respond, so he turned his head to look at her. She was lying motionless on the ground. "DOC! GET OVER HERE!"

Crackshot sprinted inside, returning moments later with Omen. He ran over to her, checking her pulse.

"Give her some air!" he said, waving for everyone to back up. Coil and Crash had come outside to see the source of the commotion.

After a couple minutes, she groggily opened her eyes. She saw Omen standing over her, with the others behind him.

"H-how long have I been out?" she asked.

"A couple minutes," he said. "You collapsed. Are you ok?"

"Yea," she said, lifting herself up. Omen took her hand, helping her stand. "What happened?" he asked.

"I…had a vision."

Omen looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Jedi can have visions, where we see images of things that will happen."

"What did you see?"

"I saw… a battle droid, the color red, and a republic gunship. I don't know what any of it means."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. We're just glad you're ok."

"Thanks, guys."

# # #

"Commander, send out speeders to survey the landscape."

"Yes, sir."

The ship's main doors opened with a loud rumble, and the hiss of the lift descending. 4 STAPs went out in each cardinal direction, sending live footage as well as constant topographical data to TV-102.

When they returned, the tactical droid created a holo image of the terrain.

"We must be ready for any threats."

# # #

Ghost and Crackshot were going to survey the droid ship one more time, hoping to find some more power cells. As they got closer, they were shocked to see battle droids furiously working to build a base camp.

Ghost immediately turned around, stopping on a ridge. They went prone, pulling out rangefinders to survey the activity below.

"Fek! We have to get back to the others."

When they returned, they ran inside, and found that everyone else had sat down for lunch.

"Everyone, on your feet!" Ghost yelled. "We've got a _big_ problem."

"What's up, boss?" Joker asked.

"Droids. I'm not sure how, but it seems like that entire ship woke up. They're building a base camp."

"Joker and Coil, I want you to set up a perimeter. Crash, you keep trying to make contact with the Republic or the GAR. Omen, Ahsoka and R, take a speeder and go get as many heavy weapons, munitions, and shield generators as you can, and make it quick. I'll stay here and help Crackshot."

# # #

Ahsoka returned on an AT-RT, while R7 piloted a speeder from the sidecar, and Omen was on a BARC. They brought flamethrowers, rocket launchers, mortars, anti-vehicle cannons, shield generators, grenade launchers, explosive charges, mines, and a few heavy-lifting droids. Joker helped them unload, while Coil and Omen began digging a pit for the mortar. In the load of supplies Ahsoka had brought were a few spy droids, perfect for reconnaissance. Ghost sent them to the droid base, watching live footage from the war room. The outer walls of the droid's basecamp were nearly complete, and they had converted their ship into a temporary command centre, and it appeared that some of the droid repair crews were trying to fix the propulsion systems, without much luck (there was an explosion).

Ghost rubbed his eyes, disturbed by the events unfolding before him. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before the droids discovered their presence, so he had to be ready. Hopefully, they would be off-world _before_ the droids found their base, but that was a bit too optimistic. Instead, he had to hope that they could fight them off until the Republic arrived to rescue them. In the meantime, however, they had to prepare more traps, and try to slow down the droids' advance as much as possible.

He went outside, and saw that the others had made concealed MG nests with branches and foliage. He ordered them to use the lifting droids to start cutting down trees, and set up the logs on higher ground. When the enemy passed, they would drop the logs on them, crushing at least a few droids. Ahsoka had already gone out to get meat to use as lures for the Acklays, while Coil and Omen were laying down landmines and other presents for any uninvited guests. Ghost hoped it would be enough.

# # #

"Sir, our outer defenses are almost ready. Should we send out more scouting parties?" 237 asked.

"No. Use a probe droid. I do not want to alert anyone on this planet to our presence."

The probe droid was released in a northeasterly direction, with orders to continue searching until its power reserves reached 50%. It flew quietly through the forest, only emitting a dull buzz and reporting back in its mechanical droid voice.

It stopped on a rock, and looked closely at a nearby tree. The branch had been severed, too clean for random chance. They were not alone on Felucia.

 _Please review and leave your thoughts._


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note : I apologize for taking so long to post this, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I had a massive tree fall into my backyard yesterday, and school has been killing me lately. I'm probably going to end up revising this chapter and the previous one at some point, because I've been told (and reached the same conclusion myself) that I was too generous with the supplies and weapons that Ahsoka and the clones found in the supply ship. I relied too much on luck, and even though there was a battle on the planet not too long before they were stranded there, it still seems too "perfect." Keep an eye out for the revisions in the near future. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 **Chapter 10**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

"R7, try recalibrating the dish array. Maybe that's causing the interference," Coil said.

The droid inserted its data probe into the computer terminal, and green lights lit up on the comms unit. "We did it!" Coil yelled.

A moment later, the lights turned red, and the terminal began beeping to indicate a computer error.

"You jinxed it," Crash said, sounding annoyed.

"I have one more idea," coil responded. He slid himself back under the projector, while Crash watched with curiosity. He heard a loud bang, and the green lights went on.

"What did you do?" he asked Coil.

"Simple: I gave it a good smack."

When the projector turned on, the two clones were so excited that they ran to find Ghost in person instead of calling.

Ghost was sitting at the dining table with Crackshot drinking caf, going over a map of their defenses and reports from the spy droids, when Coil and Crash burst into the room.

"If you wanted caf, you could have just called. I'm sure somebody would've brought it to you."

"Sir, communications are back up."

"Excellent! Let's go!" Ghost put down his caf, and hurriedly followed to the war room. They found Ahsoka in the hallway, and almost knocked her over as they ran. She went with them, unsure what was going on. When they arrived, R7 was adjusting the bandwidth for better signal strength.

"What's going on?" Ahsoka asked, looking genuinely confused.

"We have communications," Coil said.

"Excellent! I'll call the Jedi Temple. I'm sure my Master has been worried sick."

R7 set the frequency, and an image of a clone radio officer appeared. "This is a restricted channel. State your security code."

# # #

Mace Windu was meditating with Yoda in his quarters. They sat completely silent, each perfectly in tune with the force. For the first time since the start of the clone wars, Mace felt relaxed.

The door buzzed, and with his concentration broken, Mace answered the door.

"How can I help you, trooper?"

"Sorry to bother you, Sirs, but we've just received a message on an encrypted channel from someone using Padawan Tano's security code. General Kenobi is down there now, and requested your presence."

"I'll be there immediately."

# # #

"What's taking so long?" Coil asked, looking impatient.

"They're probably just waiting for Master Yoda. Should only be a minute."

A moment later, the familiar faces of Masters Windu and Kenobi appeared, along with Master Yoda.

"Ahsoka! Are you alright? Anakin told us you were shot down." Obi Wan asked.

"Just fine, Masters, although I wouldn't be if not for some new friends."

"I don't follow," Obi Wan said, looking perplexed.

A clone trooper appeared next to her, saluting to the three Jedi Masters. "At ease," Mace said.

"Thank you, sir. I'm Ghost, 41st Elite Squadron."

"What's your situation?" Obi Wan asked, instinctively rubbing his beard.

"Myself and five others were stranded here about a month ago after the last battle. One of my men found Commander Tano in the jungle during his patrol, and brought her back here. We have enough provisions to stay here for another three weeks at least, if necessary, however we have encountered some… unwanted guests."

"What do you mean?"

"Sirs, there's a droid transport ship about 15 klicks northeast of here. We're not sure how, but they've been reactivated. Our spy droid indicates that they've built a base camp, and they're on their way here. From our recon, they've got a full battalion, heavy weapons and vehicles included. We're not sure how long we can hold out, so we need an extraction ASAP."

Obi Wan and Mace turned their backs for a moment, before looking back at Ahsoka and Ghost.

"We've just dispatched a nearby clone commando team to your position. They should arrive in six hours tops. General Skywalker and the 501st will be there in 2 days time. That's the best we can do."

"Understood, Masters. Ahsoka out."

"What did they say?" Joker asked. She had been unaware that he had entered, but when she looked around, she saw that Omen had joined them as well.

"They're sending a squad of commandos to our position, until General Skywalker and the 501st can give us an extraction."

"Commandos? I've always wanted to see them in action."

# # #

"Delta squad, this CC-01/425. I'm happy to work with you again."

"So are we, Mr. Advisor-man," Scorch replied in his usual upbeat tone.

"Delta 07, glad to see you back from medical leave."

"Glad to be back, sir," Sev responded matter-of-factly.

"Deltas, command has assigned you to Felucia. Your objective is to protect a group of six clones and a Jedi until an extraction arrives in two days time. There is a large droid presence in the area, and they don't have the firepower to take them all on directly, so you'll need to be creative. A supply ship will rendezvous with you in one hour; grab what you need, and get moving. You will deploy on the planet by escape pod, in landing zone Echo. You must hold out until help arrives. Good luck Deltas. I hope that next time I see you, it's not in a body bag."

"He sure has a way of motivating the troops," Scorch said.

"Let's just try to make it out of here in one piece, alright?" Boss said.

"I agree. And this time, let's try to stay in radio contact throughout the mission. I don't want a repeat of that mess on the _Prosecutor_ ," Fixer responded.

"What do you mean? I love the smell of dead Trandoshan," Sev said.

"Deltas, let's go over the mission one more time, alright?"

"You got it, Boss."

# # #

"Ghost, spy droids just reported in. Droids split up their forces," Crackshot said. He grabbed a twig off the ground, and began drawing in the dirt. He made a circle, with a square in the middle.

"We're here," he said, pointing to the square. He drew an x nearby the circle. "The droids are here, about 5 klicks away. They're moving at a steady pace, so I expect that they'll be here in about a day, probably less."

"I just hope those commandos get here soon."

# # #

The escape pod launched with a hiss as they ejected into space. The window turned red as they descended into the atmosphere, and the pod shook violently.

"I think we need to choose a better airline next time, Boss," Scorch said, yelling over the loud roar of reentry, "This one is a bit too shaky for my liking."

"I'll be sure to bring it up with command when we get back."

Any further attempts at conversation were cut short when the pod entered its final descent. The retro thrusters fired slowing the descent of the pod, while the onboard computer used the maneuvering thrusters to keep the pod level. It skidded across the ground, finally coming to a stop. The viewport was partially submerged in the dirt, and the engines were sticking up at an angle.

"Everybody alright?" Boss asked.

"*cough* Can we do it again?" Scorch asked cheerily.

"I'd rather have a _smoother_ landing next time, if you don't mind," Fixer chimed in.

"If you two are done, I'd like to get some fresh air," Sev said, sounding annoyed. He unfastened his safety harness, and stood up to release the hatch. He grabbed the release handle, and the hatch went flying, landing a few feet away. He hoisted himself outside, followed by Fixer and Boss.

"Where's Scorch?" Boss asked.

"Uh, guys? I'm having some technical difficulties in here, if one of you fine gentlemen would care to assist me," said a voice from inside the pod.

Fixer and Boss hopped back inside to help Scorch, while Sev stayed outside and laughed.

Once they broke Scorch free, the four commandos reconvened near the pod.

"What's the plan, Boss?" Sev asked.

Scorch threw down a mobile holo-projector on the ground, and it displayed a map of the surrounding area. "We're here," Boss said, pointing to a dot on the map. "The droids are advancing on the VIP's location as we speak, and by my estimates they're probably about 5-10 klicks out. Deltas, I need options."

"We could try to flank around and knock out their commander. Should cause enough confusion to halt their advance and buy some time for the Jedi," Fixer said.

"We could also go straight to the VIPs and set up an ambush with them," Sev added.

"Or we could just blow it up," Scorch chimed.

"Let's try to be a bit more discreet, Scorch," Boss replied. "I think we should split up. Fixer and Scorch, sneak in and cause some mayhem, and get out undetected. Sev and I will meet up with the survivors and organize a defense. Maintain radio silence until you're out of there. Understood?" They responded with a resounding "yes."

# # #

"How're you doing, Sev?"

"I hate the jungle," he replied with a tone of annoyance.

"It's not my favorite either, but it beats Geonosis."

"I agree. I'm still finding fekkin' sand in my boots."

Boss raised his fist beside his head, indicating for them to halt. They saw a damaged AT-TE, with what appeared to be camouflaged gun emplacements and mines.

"Tread carefully. We don't know what's in there."

They cautiously moved forward, slowly making their way to the door. They took positions on either side, and on Boss's signal, carefully pushed it open. They crouch-walked through the main room, until they heard voices nearby. _Clone voices_. Now at ease, the pair stood upright and walked in the direction of the familiar voices. When they arrived at the source, they were met by the astonished faces of six clones and a Jedi. Boss took off his helmet, placing it down on the large table. Sev stood behind him, his arms crossed.

"I'm Delta 38, leader of Delta Squad. Call me 'Boss.' That," he said, pointing to Sev, "Is Delta 07, AKA Sev."

The clones were absolutely mesmerized by the grizzled commando's words, still in disbelief at the living legends standing before them. Ghost broke the trance, and stood up to shake Boss's hand.

"My name is Ghost. I'm the leader of this group." He pointed at the others sitting at the table, introducing each of them to their new allies. "Crackshot and I were in the same unit. Joker is a demolitions expert, our medic Omen, our pilot Crash, and Coil, the mechanic."

Boss studied them for a moment, before shifting his focus to the young Togrutan. "Who is she?" he asked, looking confused.

"Commander Ahsoka Tano, at your service," she said, standing up next to Ghost.

"Gentlemen, how about we show you our defenses?"

He led the commandos outside, pointing to the various fortifications and emplacements they had constructed. While he explained the state of their defenses, Coil and Crash were driving one of the fighter tanks towards an opening between two large trees to the right of their defenses.

"What are they doing?" Boss asked, looking perplexed.

"We're going to use the fighter tank as a roadblock for when the droids get here." he pointed to the stack of logs. "We're going to drop those on the droids when they get here. That way, we can funnel them into the middle, and concentrate our fire on one area."

Boss nodded in approval, impressed with Ghost's tactical sense. "Sir, I could use that as a sniping spot," he said, pointing to the log pile.

"Very good, Sev. Once they drop the logs, you can start firing down on them."

"With pleasure, sir."

# # #

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Scorch asked.

"Yes 62, I'm positive we're going in the right direction," he said impatiently. Scorch caught sight of a droid speeder, tapping Fixer on the shoulder. He pointed at the incoming threat, and the two commandos dove to the ground.

"We should follow it," Scorch suggested. Fixer nodded, and they began tailing the droid scout.

They didn't have to go very far when they heard the distinctive clanging sound, indicating a nearby droid presence. Fixer used his helmet's built-in macrobinoculars to get a better look. "Command wasn't kidding. They have a full battalion over there."

" _Now_ can we blow it up?" Scorch asked.

"Maybe. Let's get closer first."

The two commandos cautiously approached the droid's armored column, taking great care to avoid detection. Fixer pointed to a nearby rock, and Scorch took cover behind it, fixing the anti-armor attachment to his DC-17. Fixer pulled out his portable field computer, jamming the droid's communications. Scorch nodded to his partner, and Fixer tossed an EMP grenade into the column. The droid's didn't notice it, and kept marching past it. The commandos waited anxiously for it to detonate, its 5 second fuse-time feeling like an eternity. When it finally went off, it sent a wave of electricity through the nearby battle droids, shorting out their circuits as they fell to the ground. The droid lieutenant sitting in one of the AAT tanks ordered them to halt. "What was that?" it asked in its robotic, monotone voice. Scorch answered his question with a well-placed shot from his anti-armor grenade launcher, sending deadly shrapnel through the exposed top hatch and into the rest of the tank. The lieutenant was sent flying, while a secondary detonation from the ammunition inside blew the turret clean off. The droids, still confused about the situation, opened fire randomly on the surrounding jungle. Fixer threw a few more EMP grenades, watching as they collapsed to the ground. Scorch continued assaulting them with his grenade launcher, taking down a few super battle droids in the process. He switched to his regular blaster attachment, peppering the droids' ranks with well-placed blaster fire. Scorch nodded to him, and after taking a few more shots, the commandos retreated into the jungle. The droids, still unaware of what had happened, continued to fire in no general direction, unable to comprehend that Republic commandos were trained their entire lives to become one with the shadows, exposing themselves only when they saw fit.

# # #

Boss was going over tactical maps with Ghost when his wrist-comm started beeping. He answered it, and was relieved to hear Scorch's voice. "What's your status 62?"

"We got to blow things up!" he said, sounding excited. "They're going to have a _pretty_ big headache after this."

"Glad to hear it. What's your position?"

"We're on our way to you now 38."

"How long until we can expect our uninvited guests?"

"Fixer thinks that we only ran into a smaller force, and that the main group is still about 3-4 klicks out."

"We'll be ready. Get back here and we'll go over battle plans. Boss out."

"We don't have much time. Finish readying the defenses, and get me an ETA on the 501st. I don't doubt our abilities, but I'm not sure how long we can hold out against their heavy weapons and vehicles."

Ghost nodded and hurried out the door, leaving Boss alone. He continued going over the tactical maps, trying to work out the enemy's most likely plan of attack. He leaned against the projector, rubbing his eyes, when Scorch burst into the room.

"Boss, the droids are moving double-time now. Fixer says we have two or three hours tops before they arrive."

"Let's give them a proper welcome."

# # # 

"TV-102, we should arrive at the clones' base in one hour."

"Right on schedule," the tactical droid replied in its calm, calculating voice. "Send the MTTs forward. We will use a three-pronged attack to surround the enemy. Commander, prepare your troops for battle."

"Roger roger."

As the lumbering war machines of the droid army continued their march through the jungle, the hour of battle draws closer…

# # #

"Sir, we have less than thirty minutes until they arrive," Fixer said.

"Everyone, to your posts! Let's give them a good show."

Coil and Crash had finished wiring the explosives, and the log piles were ready to drop. Crash ran back to the mortar pit, while Coil hopped into the turret of one of the tanks. Omen was on the heavy repeating turret, and Joker had already taken up his position behind a makeshift barricade that Coil had cobbled together from spare metal in the AT-TE. Crackshot and Ghost took up sniping positions, ready to run to the frontlines if the droids got too close. Scorch and Fixer were in the other tank, with Scorch on the turret, and Fixer behind the wheel. Sev was at his sniping spot, and Boss had taken cover near the frontlines. Ahsoka was with him, eagerly awaiting her chance to slice open some droids.

They all stayed in position, with an air of fear and anticipation hanging on them. They stood on guard, ready for whatever the droids would throw at them. Admiral Yularen had already reported in that they would arrive in under six hours time. The hour of battle was fast approaching.

# # #

"Now!" Boss yelled. The log piles came crashing down on a group of unfortunate droids, sealing the left entrance, and the exploding fighter tank on the right brought down two large trees, sealing that entrance as well. Through the middle, a swarm of standard battle droids began pouring through, followed by super battle droids.

The ground began churning as landmines obliterated small pockets of droids, filling the air with dust. The droids fired at will, spraying the defenders with blaster fire. Ahsoka burst out of cover, using her twin lightsabers to slash through the attacking droids. Omen's turret was like a broom, sweeping through the droids' ranks (continuous fire, moving the gun slowly from left to right). The initial wave was followed by even more droids, this time including the dreaded droidekas, and a dwarf spider droid. In the rear, an alliance tank droid was peppering the clones' defenses with grenades. Joker fired a rocket at it, sending it into flames. Sev used his elevated position to snipe the droid support units in the rear, including a mortar team.

Boss was firing at a super battle droid, when a blaster bolt whizzed past his ear. He looked around for the source, but couldn't see anything. He activated his wrist comm. "Sev, we've got at least one sniper. Take it out."

"With extreme prejudice, sir."

Sev's years of marksman training allowed him to easily identify the camouflaged droid sniper, as he sent a blaster bolt through its head.

"Eliminated, sir."

The droids were sending in heavier reinforcements, including an AAT tank, as well a fresh batch of droidekas and super battle droids.

Sev had the droid tank commander's head in his sights, when its head went flying off. Ghost was engaged with his blaster rifle, so only Crackshot could've taken that shot.

"Nice job Crackshot. Keep it up and maybe you'll be as good as me someday." The scout was pleased to hear such praise from a commando, especially the sniper from Delta squad.

The AAT burst into flames, followed by a "Woohoo!" from Scorch. "I love this job!" he exclaimed with glee. Fixer set the tank's main guns on a group of super battle droids, and with the press of a button they were reduced to pieces.

# # #

"Commander, we are taking losses. Send in the heavy units."

"Roger roger. Droideka squadrons 1 and 2, advance! Commando squadron 1, advance! Tanks 2, 3, and 4, advance! Spider walker 1, advance!"

# # #

As battle droids and super battle droids kept pouring through the middle, a large group of droidekas rolled in behind them. They unfolded, raising their shields and opening fire on the clones.

"Fixer! Focus fire on the droidekas!"

Without hesitation, the commando unleashed a volley of plasma on the shielded droids, knocking out a few. Before he could fire again, he saw the trio of tanks hovering behind the droidekas.. One of the tank's turrets rotated towards fixer, until he could almost see down the barrel.

"Out! Out!" Fixer screamed.

The droid tank fired, hitting Fixer's vehicle moments after he had ducked behind cover. Its hover engines failed, and it slammed to the ground. The commandos hurried to cover, using their anti-armor attachments to attack the enemy tanks.

"Our grenade launchers aren't even making a dent on those things!" Scorch yelled.

"Then try something else," Joker yelled. He hefted a rocket launcher onto his shoulder, sending its payload straight into the center of the droid tank. It found its target, turning the tank into a burning hulk. "Now that's how it's done!" Scorch cheered.

The second tank rotated its turret towards the MG nest, firing its massive shot. The explosion sent Omen flying back, landing a couple feet away. "OMEN!" Ahsoka yelled. She ran towards him, dragging him safely behind cover. Fixer saw the medic lying motionless on the ground, and crawled towards them. When he arrived, he found Ahsoka desperately trying to assess the situation and help him. Fixer, having gone through medical training on Kamino, stepped in. "I have medical training," he said calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "I'll take care of him. We need you back out there."

She nodded, reactivating her lightsabers and rushing towards the droids with a determination and rage that he hadn't seen earlier.

Ahsoka, filled with anger, began mercilessly chopping down battle droids, and using the force, ejecting the tank crews from their vehicles and sending them flying back. She rammed the two tanks together, watching with glee as they landed with a _thump_.

While she was tearing through the enemy ranks, Sev noticed something on the right flank. He aimed his scope in the direction, and saw the familiar white eyes of a droid commando. He commed Boss.

"38, you've got commandos on the right," he shouted.

Boss turned around just as one of the droids was lining up a shot. He dodged, landing behind cover. Scorch tossed grenades like they were candy, and Sev lined up headshot after headshot. Even after a clean shot between the eyes, the droid's armor resisted the shot. They kept coming, as the commando's blasters were useless. The commander pulled out a large vibroblade from its back, lunging at Boss. He jumped aside, extending his gauntlet blades. The two exchanged blows, each blocking the other's attacks. Sev fired a shot at the droid, and in the split second when it diverted its attention away, Boss leaped behind it, capturing it in a headlock. His blade went straight through the droid's skull, piercing its brain.

The battle raged on for what felt like hours, as waves of battle droids met their demise at the end of the clones' blaster or Ahsoka's lightsaber, and more kept pouring in to replace their losses. The clones were low on munitions, and Omen was still unconscious.

# # # 

"Sir, we're approaching the LZ. ETA, 2 minutes."

"Very good, pilot. Close the blast doors."

The crew compartment of the LAAT gunship grew dark, and an ominous red light filled the room.

"Our mission is to extract the survivors at _all costs_. Once they're aboard, I want everyone back inside their gunships ASAP. Am I clear?"

He was met with a resounding "yes" from the troops.

"Good." He activated his wrist-comm. "General Skywalker, this is Captain Rex. We're ready."

"Very good captain. Let's get this party started."

# # #

 _As always, please review and leave your thoughts below. Enjoy!_

 _P.S. I know this is much shorter than usual, like I said above I've been swamped lately, but I wanted to get this chapter out ASAP. I appreciate your continued support, and I hope you stay with me for the long road ahead!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post this, life has been really crazy lately. This one's been in the works for awhile, so I'm glad it's finally getting posted. I hope you all enjoyed the flashback! Just a note, I'd like to apologize if anyone feels that I cut the flashback off short, but I felt that I was losing focus. So, expect another flashback with Ahsoka and the clones in the future, as well as appearances by them in the main storyline! Their story isn't over yet! The flashback has been an interesting "experiment," as well as a chance to test my own ability to write a story, so I'm glad everybody liked it!_

 **Chapter 11**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

As the gunship doors opened with a metallic hiss, clones from the 501st legion came pouring out like a sea of white. They took up positions among the survivors, with four or five troopers taking the place of a single survivor. They began extracting them one by one, filling their position with fresh troops and escorting them safely to the gunships.

"501st! Am I glad to see you boys," Crash said. Two of the troopers took positions on the mortar, while another three escorted the pilot safely to the gunships. One of the troopers caught a stray blaster bolt, his armor melting as he collapsed to the ground. Crash stopped to grab him, but his escorts pulled him away.

"No time! We need to get you to a gunship." They sprinted to the evac ship, ducking to avoid blaster fire. 

"Let me fly," Crash yelled. The other clones looked bewildered for a moment, before one radioed the pilot. Within moments, the pilot's seat had descended, and now lay open for him.

"Everyone hold onto something!" he yelled, sealing the doors. The ship lurched into the air, as the experienced pilot positioned himself above the battlefield. At once, missiles began to fly from the wings of the gunship, and blaster fire rained down on the droids below. The side doors opened, and the troops within began firing at their enemies below.

Meanwhile, a team of clone medics were gently loading Omen onto a stretcher. Fixer stood nearby, firing on any droids that looked their way. Omen groaned as the medics lifted the stretcher, sprinting towards a nearby medevac gunship. Crackshot and Ghost provided covering fire for them while they too began moving towards a waiting gunship.

Coil hopped out of his tank just as an incoming missile slammed into the turret. The blast threw him back a few feet, landing on a bush. He dusted himself off, and crawled towards a group of clones taking cover behind a fallen tree. A sniper blast whizzed past his head, and he felt its heat on his skin as it passed. He sprinted to the clones, leaning against the tree. He activated his wrist-comm. "Joker, we're pinned down. Can you give us a hand?"

"I'll do you one better," he said with enthusiasm. Coil wasn't sure what he meant, but he assumed that it would involve explosions.

Sure enough, he heard a loud _bang_ only moments later. The tank that had been firing on them was now a burning pile of metal, allowing the trapped clones to run towards a gunship. As soon as they were aboard, the doors sealed and the ship took off.

# # #

The clones were getting pushed back as they slowly retreated to the gunships.

Ahsoka was near Scorch and Fixer, deflecting blaster fire while they supported her. The droids seemed to have infinite amounts of troops, because for every one they killed, four more seemed to take its place.

"Ahsoka, this is Joker. Please respond!"

Scorch answered instead. "How may I assist you today?"

"Very funny. Where's Ahsoka?"

Scorch glanced at the young Jedi before responding. "She's a bit preoccupied right now. What do you need?"

"We need to leave, _now._ "

"Understood. I'll relay a message."

"AHSOKA!" he yelled. "WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!"

She nodded, running towards the gunships while deflecting blaster fire. Delta Squad followed, firing at the oncoming droids as they ran. From the air, Crackshot and Ghost were providing sniper fire, picking off anyone firing at the survivors below.

Joker was near the gunship, using his shotgun to take down commando droids. Sev arrived first, crouching inside the gunship and firing back at his attackers.

"We've got to go now!" the pilot yelled.

"If you try to take off without them, I'll come up there and slit your throat," Sev replied.

A shot from a droid tank kicked up a cloud of dust in front of the ship, obscuring Sev's vision. The gunship lifted off the ground, hovering just above it. Sev saw silhouettes in the dust, raising his blaster when one lunged at him. He was about to fire when he saw the familiar armor of Scorch flying towards him. They collided, landing together inside the gunship, with Fixer, Boss and Ahsoka close behind. The doors sealed, and the gunship dashed into the atmosphere.

# # #

"Admiral, open fire on the planet," Anakin said.

Admiral Yularen nodded, and signalled to the gunnery officer. The heavy batteries rotated and unleashed a deadly volley onto the planet below. The explosions could be seen from orbit, as countless droids were obliterated, along with any remaining republic or separatist hardware.

As the gunships pulled into the hangar, Anakin went down to meet them.

Ahsoka came out first, and ran towards her master. He waited for her, watching her as she ran. With arms wide open, he wrapped her in his embrace. She held her head close to his chest, never wanting to leave the safety his arms provided. He held her close, not wanting to let her go again.

# # #

Everyone that had been evaced from the planet went to the medbay to see Omen. Delta Squad had only met him recently, yet they felt a certain bond with him. When he finally awoke, he saw the faces of his brothers (and Ahsoka) gathered around him. The doctor pushed his way through the crowd of clones, pushing like a ship against the wind. Once he got through, he began looking at the various instruments monitoring the injured medic.

"How is he Doc?" Ghost asked.

"We need to prep him for surgery. Everybody, out!"

# # # 

Anakin walked into the medbay to find a horde of clones chatting and sitting on anything they could find. When they noticed him enter, every one of them snapped to attention. "At ease," he said. As if he flicked a switch, they went back to what they were doing before.

Anakin looked for his padawan in the crowd of clones, until he finally spotted her talking to Ghost and Joker. He couldn't see a way to get to her, so he returned to his quarters.

# # #

Joker was talking to Ahsoka about what had happened on Felucia. He was still having some trouble adjusting to his new surroundings, and she was an easy person to talk to about these things.

"I know it's a big change, but trust me, once you're back in the groove of things, you'll be fine," she said. He nodded politely, as his attention was diverted elsewhere.

He noticed that she hadn't changed since they got on the ship, and her clothes were torn in various places. Her left breast was almost exposed, and part of her waist was clearly visible. He knew that he shouldn't be looking at her, his _commander_ no less, but he couldn't help himself. She was just too attractive.

His thoughts wandered, and he began to daydream.

# # # 

_Ahsoka took his hand, and led him down the hall into empty quarters. She sealed the door, and pressed herself against him. He let instinct take over, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her face towards his. Their lips met, and he hungrily attacked the inside of her mouth with his tongue. She responded in kind, and soon he was lying on top of her on the bed._

 _She broke the kiss and stood up. Joker looked hurt, until she began carefully taking off her tube top, revealing her perky orange breasts. His eyes lit up, and a smile washed over his face. She delicately slid her fingers into her waist, inching the tattered skirt down._

 _It fell to her feet, and she stepped out of it. Joker took off his fatigues as quick as possible, tossing the in a heap on the far side of the room. She looked at the mountain in his underwear with desire, and placed her hands on his waistline. He shuddered at her touch, and she carefully removed his remaining clothing._

 _Her eyes widened when she saw his full 10 inches (25.4 cm) protruding towards her. She looked up at him and licking her lips, got down on her knees before him. Her hands gently caressed his cock, and her she made little circles with her tongue on the tip. His hands gently grabbed her montrals as his cock began to disappear further into her mouth. Her head bobbed back and forth as she picked up the pace, only stopping to breathe. As she sucked, more and more of his cock disappeared into her, until she was almost at the base. He realized that she couldn't go any farther._

 _She savored the taste of him for almost twenty minutes before she got the main course._

" _I can't hold it any longer!" he yelled._

 _She pulled back, so that the tip was on her tongue. He burst, and she was filled with his creamy seed. She swallowed as fast as she could, and after five mouthfuls, he finished. She licked her lips, and taking his hand, led him to the bed._

 _She laid on her back, spreading her legs and putting her sweet pussy into full view. He laid on top of her, re-entering her mouth as his cock rubbed her wall. He took her hand, and thrust inside._

 _She squeezed as hard as she could, as waves of pain ran through her. He kept thrusting into her, and she felt like he was tearing her in two._

 _Her initial pain subsided, replaced by her increasing pleasure. She began to moan, and attacked his tongue harder. He picked up the pace, pulling back more before thrusting._

" _Mmmmh!" she screamed, her cries muffled by his mouth. He was thrusting even harder now, and she felt her body begin to tremble. He continued to piston in and out, and her pleasure levels hit their peak. Her legs slammed together, and she felt her pussy tightening as she screamed. Waves of pleasure washed over her body, as she cried out in pleasure._

 _Joker was close too, so he went as hard as he could. He thrust all the way in before releasing his hot load inside her. She screamed in pleasure as she felt his hot seed fill her up. He pulled out, and gently lifted himself from atop her. She laid there for a moment, completely taken with pleasure. She noticed that he wasn't on top of her anymore, so she looked around. He was standing in front of her, watching with curiosity._

 _He helped her stand up, letting her lean against him. His hands gently massaged her orange ass, and her lekku rubbed against his cock. He looked into her eyes, and gently but firmly squeezed her ass._

 _She knew what he wanted. Joker watched as her body turned around, exposing her lovely backside to him. She planter her feet firmly on the floor in front of the bed, and bent over. She spread her legs, and placed her hands on her ass. He coated himself in lube, and gently pushed into her ass. She used her hands to stretch it as wide as possible as he went deeper. She felt like she was being torn apart as he pushed further inside._

 _Once he was inside, he started sliding in and out of her tight ass. At first all she felt was pain. Once he developed a rhythm, the pain began to go away and she started to enjoy being ass-fucked._

" _I don't think I'll last much longer!" Joker yelled._

" _CUM IN MY ASS!" Ahsoka screamed._

 _Joker was more than happy to comply, releasing his hot load inside her juicy asshole. She felt his warmth inside her and began moaning-_

"Joker, are you OK?" Ahsoka asked, ending his fantasy and bringing him back to reality.

# # #

"F-fine, Ahsoka. Why do you ask?"

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I saw you staring at a wall. Unless there's something there I'm not seeing, then you're clearly not focusing." He blushed and turned away.

"It's ok Joker, I know how you feel."

"You do?" he asked, a newfound burst of hope filling his heart.

"Of course. Being down on that planet one minute and here the next is a big shift - it takes time to adjust."

His hopes dashed, he nodded politely. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'm pretty tired."

"I think that's a good idea," she replied.

"Oh, Commander?"

"Yes, Joker?"

"I think you should request a change of clothes. What you're wearing - it's a bit revealing."

She smiled, and he left the room.

# # #

The next morning, survivors from the planet had gathered in the mess hall. Since their rescue, they had developed a special bond, even though they hadn't known each other a month before. They were talking and laughing, sharing stories of their past battles. Ahsoka was with them, just listening to their exciting tales.

"...and he turns to me and says 'I don't know who you are, but I thought you'd been drinking at the wheel!'"

This elicited a loud roar of laughter from everyone, drowning out nearby conversations.

Their excitement was brought to a screeching halt when the chief surgeon approached them.

"How is he, Doc?" Joker asked, his expression immediately shifting to a serious face.

"Omen will make a full recovery in under a month. Until then, he'll need constant care. Since I can't spare any medical staff, I hope you can take care of it? I can have a nurse show you what to do, and come and check on you once a day, if it's not too much work for you all?"

They couldn't nod their heads fast enough. Omen was their brother, and they owed it to him to help him recover.

Ahsoka was overwhelmed with relief, but since Jedi weren't supposed to show emotions, felt it was only proper to leave the room. She slipped away while they were all talking to the doctor, and took the first lift to the surgical ward.

# # #

Omen awoke in a white room, surrounded by monitors and tubes coming out of his arms. He looked around, but all he could see past the machines were curtains.

He closed his eyes again, the bright lights making it hard to see. He heard a curtain open, soon after the feeling on someone holding his hand. He wasn't sure who they were, but something about them felt familiar. He felt himself drifting off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that someone cared about him.

# # #

Ahsoka awoke from her memory when she heard the door open. Her parents walked in, sitting down next to her.

"How'd it go, Mom?" Ahsoka asked.

"Great. The funeral has been moved up, so we're leaving tomorrow. Anakin and I will start packing soon."

"Will Master Obi Wan be coming with us?" she asked.

"Yes Ahsoka, Obi Wan lost a dear friend. He may act like nothing's wrong, but he's hurting. He needs us right now."

"I understand, Dad."

# # #

# # #

Obi Wan paced the room. It had been a week since he learned of the funeral, and the date had been set for tomorrow. He looked at his chrono.

"It's already one in the morning. I _need_ to sleep," he said, despite being alone in his bedroom.

He had gone to bed early as usual, falling asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow. At first, he was greeted by pleasant dreams of happy memories with Anakin. He was throwing the frisbee to his padawan, and when he looked up at him, saw Satine's face. The dream shifted, and he saw her tied to a chair in an empty room. He could hear explosions outside, but his focus was on Satine.

A figure emerged from the shadows, standing behind the Duchess. It was none other than Pre Vizla, leader of Death Watch.

"So glad you could make it, _Jedi_. Looks like I won't need her anymore." He activated his darksaber, piercing Satine's chest. He cut her free, and she fell to the ground. Obi Wan ran over to her, and turned her so she could see him. She raised her arm, and he took her hand.

"Master Skywalker," she said, struggling to speak, "Tell Obi Wan… I'm sorry and… I've always loved him." Her grip slackened, and she was gone. He gently closed her eyes, and laid her hand on her chest, before looking back up at Pre Vizla.

"No, no, no! Satine!" he yelled, his eyes still closed. The image of the dying Duchess abruptly disappeared, and he sat upright in his bed. He was breathing heavily, and it took a minute to make sense of his surroundings.

His mind was racing. He had so many questions, he didn't know where to start. Every time he blinked, he saw Satine's face, expressionless and pale.

" _Master Skywalker_?" he thought to himself.

He hurriedly got out of bed, and threw on his clothes. In moments, he was out the door and running down the hallway.

He stopped in front of Master Yoda's door, hesitating a moment before knocking. When he managed to bring his hand to the door, the sound seemed rather loud.

It slid open, and the aged Jedi Master looked up at him.

"Asleep, you were not?"

"No, Master. I've had a nightmare, but I sensed it was more than a dream. I'm not sure what it means, which is why I've come to you."

Yoda chuckled, before beckoning his guest inside. His dorm was sparse, yet well-decorated; there were all the essentials, such as chairs for meditation, a bedroom, a refresher, a table, and some appliances. He had some souvenirs from his travels scattered about the room, and an ornate tapestry on the wall, a gift from the Wookiees. It contained scenes from the battle against the Separatists on the planet, including a depiction of Master Yoda overlooking a beachhead with two other Wookiees.

He had raised himself onto one of the meditation chairs, and beckoned Obi Wan to the other by gesturing with his cane. "Come, sit."

Obi Wan sat on the chair cross-legged, looking expectantly at Master Yoda.

"Clear your mind. Focus only on your dream. Remember the details, most do not. To understand your dream, know everything, we must."

"I see Duchess Satine, tied to a chair in a large room. I hear explosions outside. A battle, maybe?"

"Continue," Yoda said.

"There is a figure behind her. He's wearing mandalorian armor… He's Pre Vizla, leader of Death Watch. He's saying something…," Obi Wan said.

"NO!" he yelled, his eyes bursting open.

"Focus, you must. Let your emotions cloud your vision, you cannot."

He nodded, and closed his eyes again.

"She's dead, Master. He used some kind of black lightsaber…"

"A darksaber," Yoda stated plainly.

"He cut her loose. She's on the ground, bleeding. I'm holding her hand."

Yoda sensed Obi Wan's pain when he described Satine. "Close to her, you were?" he asked.

"Yes, Master." He hesitated, unsure whether to tell the full extent of his feelings for Satine.

"I… I loved her, Master. I have loved her for a long time. I was planning on telling her, but she died before I could."

"Hmmm," Yoda said, expressing his understanding.

"She's telling me… that she loves me too, Master. She called me _Skywalker_? Why would she be talking to Anakin in _my_ dream?"

The wise old Jedi paused, contemplating what Obi Wan had told him. "A vision, this is. Seeing through Skywalker's eyes, you are."

The dream faded, and Obi Wan opened his eyes. "What does it mean, Master?"

"Not sure, I am. Discover this for yourself, you will."

# # #

Obi Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Shaak Ti were in the _Twilight_. The ladies were resting, leaving Anakin and his lifelong friend alone in the cabin.

They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. Obi Wan was going over the speech he was going to deliver, making sure he was satisfied. Anakin was thinking about his wedding day, imagining what it might be like. He still couldn't believe that it was tomorrow, almost within his grasp.

When they finally touched down on Mandalore, Obi Wan remained silent. They were shuttled to the funeral, taking their seats in the front row. Anakin and Ahsoka were sitting on either side of Obi Wan, with Shaak Ti next to her soon-to-be husband.

People around them were talking in hushed tones, although the four Jedi stayed silent. Finally, two royal guards banged their pikes against the ground, and silence fell upon the room. Korkie proceeded up the aisle, followed by four of Satine's closest advisors and friends. They took their seats in the front two rows, among the other close friends and relatives of the deceased Duchess. Korkie went up to the podium, pulling out a small piece of paper from his pocket and placing it before him.

"Friends, family, people of Mandalore; we are gathered here to remember my aunt, Duchess Satine. This is a happy occasion, to remember the good times we shared, and the memories we will keep in our hearts, of our beloved Duchess. If anyone would like to tell us about their favorite memories of Satine, I invite you to do so."

Obi Wan stood up, quietly making his way to the podium. He cleared his throat.

"I've known Satine for a very long time. We met when I was a padawan and she a princess. Since the moment I first laid eyes on her, I knew that I loved her. If she had asked me to leave the order and get married, I wouldn't have thought twice. Since then, the Order has allowed relationships. I was going to ask her to marry me, until Death Watch took her away from me. Our love for each other will last as long as the force remains. I hope to one day be reunited with her in the Force."

He stood next to the coffin. He took out a small box from his pocket, opening it to reveal two rings. He placed one on his finger, and the other on hers. He gently lowered his head, kissing her one last time, before whispering "I will always love you. I will hold you and you alone in my heart for the rest of my days. I love you."

He walked back to his seat, watching as the coffin was lowered to its final resting place.

# # #

Satine's funeral was the saddest event Shaak Ti had ever witnessed. Ahsoka was crying onto her shoulder. She took her daughter's hand, and Anakin's in the other. She wiped a few stray tears from his face.

The funeral was not as she expected. She found the human way of treating the dead very different from her own.

"Anakin?" she asked.

"Yes, my love," he replied.

"Why did they bury the body? Will they come back for it later?"

He laughed, but she didn't share his sense of amusement. "Humans bury our dead, and mark their grave with a tombstone. Sometimes loved ones come to visit the grave to remember those they've lost. What do Togruta do?"

"We burn our dead on a great pyre, and celebrate their life."

Anakin's eyes widened at her words. "Before you burn me, _please_ make sure I'm actually dead."She chuckled, and took his hand.

"You won't die," Ahsoka said. She had listened in on their conversation.

"As long as Ahsoka and I are alive, we'll keep you alive. Right sweetie?"

"We won't let anything happen to you, Dad."

# # # 

When the funeral was over, Anakin and Shaak Ti talked to Korkie and a few of Satine's close friends. Korkie offered to let them stay the night, since it was already getting late and they had a long trip home.

 _Besides,_ Anakin thought to himself, _I have a wedding in three days!_

They spent the rest of the evening talking to friends of Satine, and celebrating all the wonderful things she had done.

Once the reception had died down, a guard showed the four Jedi to their rooms; Anakin and Shaak Ti got one to themselves, Ahsoka her own, and Obi Wan another.

As soon as they felt the soft bed beneath them, the tired Jedi fell asleep.

# # #

The next morning, Shaak Ti left early to take care of some things. Anakin was still only half-awake, so he didn't ask questions.

She stood at the palace gates while she waited for the valet to bring her speeder. She looked around, making sure nobody had followed her. She hopped on her speeder, and went to the shopping district.

When she arrived, she began searching for stores that sold lingerie. Each store had what could be considered "lingerie," but none of them were revealing enough for Shaak Ti.

She had almost given up, when she noticed a sex shop on the corner. The shelves were filled with everything one could imagine: sex toys, sex bots, magazines, and a couple about to have sex.

She wandered around the store until she found the lingerie section. There were sets in all styles and colors. She looked at all of them, holding them up to herself in front of a mirror. She tried on a few, but wasn't satisfied until she found a black set with matching stockings that fit her perfectly. She posed in front of the mirror, thinking she looked sexy. She paid for her items, and hid them beneath her robe.

When she returned to their room, Anakin was in the shower. She hid the lingerie in her luggage, and waited patiently for him on the bed. Moments later, he emerged shirtless, kissing her cheek before drifting off to sleep.

# # #

 **Please review and leave your thoughts below.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: Sorry this took so long, I've been really busy lately (I went into more detail in the author's note I posted earlier). I'm back now, and ready to write! I hope everyone likes this chapter! I've reworked it almost 4 times now, but I'm still not satisfied. It's my best attempt yet, but I might rewrite it sometime in the future. Sorry it's so short, I really wanted to get this chapter posted ASAP. Enjoy!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

It had been three days since Shaak Ti had returned from Mandalore. The wedding was scheduled for today, and all of their friends and family from the Jedi Order and elsewhere were going to attend.

Shaak Ti was in the shower, her mind racing with all the details of the ceremony. She stepped out, wrapping a towel around her chest. Ahsoka was waiting in the bedroom with the wedding dress.

She helped her mother put on the wedding dress. It was a long, flowing white strapless dress with flower patterns winding down from the chest, all outlined in pearls. The radiant red skin on her back was completely exposed, cut off at the waist by her dress.

She twirled around, making the bottom of her dress levitate.

"You look gorgeous, mom. More beautiful than the princess of Shili."

"Thank you, sweetheart. But am I wearing it right? It feels like something's missing."

"Right!" Ahsoka said, running to the other room. When she returned, she was holding Shaak Ti's jeweled headdress.

"Can't forget this!"

She put it on, adorning her lekku with precious jewels and a thin white veil.

"Ready to go?" she asked her mother.

"Of course, sweetie," she said, admiring her daughter's red traditional Togrutan dress.

"Did I forget something? I feel like I'm forgetting something." Shaak Ti was beginning to panic, and Ahsoka had to calm her down. She placed her hands on her mother's shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Everything will be fine. All you have to do now is go down the aisle."

She nodded, feeling reassured. "Ok."

 _I can't believe I'm about to get married_ , she thought to herself.

# # #

Bells rang, and the ceremony began. Ahsoka walked the bride down the aisle, locking arms as they went. Anakin was standing on the aisle in his finest suit, with Obi Wan right behind him. Master Plo stood in the center of the altar, facing the aisle. Shaak Ti carefully stepped to the altar.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of Shaak Ti and Anakin Skywalker. I am proud, and honored, to be standing here before you today to join this man and woman in sacred matrimony. From this point on, they will be one in the Force. If anyone should object to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The room was silent.

"Do you, Anakin Skywalker, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love, honor, and comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Shaak Ti, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love, honor, and comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Repeat after me: I, Anakin Skywalker, take you, Shaak Ti, to be my wife, to love and cherish you from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others until death do us part."

He repeated the vows to Shaak Ti.

Plo Koon turned to Shaak Ti. "Repeat after me: I, Shaak Ti, take you, Anakin Skywalker, to be my husband, to love and cherish you from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others until death do us part."

She repeated the vows to Anakin.

"The rings, please," Plo asked. R2-D2 carried them on a cushion mounted to his head. The rings were made of silver, each with a piece of the other's lightsaber crystal adorning the center.

Anakin took her ring, carefully placing it on her delicate finger. "I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love."

She placed the other ring on his finger, repeating what Anakin had said.

"By the power vested in me by the Jedi Council, I now pronounce you as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Anakin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Their lips met, and they shared a passionate kiss. She could feel her mind melding with his. The Force had made their minds one.

Anakin broke the kiss, and swept his wife off her feet and into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking perplexed.

"It's a human tradition," he explained, "for a husband to carry his wife down the aisle."

She nodded, and let him carry her while enjoying his tender embrace. He carried her all the way to the reception. He put her down, and they went about the business of talking to all the guests. They got

 _Twilight_ , setting her down carefully in the co-pilot's chair. He punched the dashboard, and the controls lit up. He set a course for Alderaan, and the ship soared into the atmosphere as the wedding guests waved from the landing platform.

# # #

After several hours, the _Twilight_ came out of hyperspace. Shaak Ti had fallen asleep during the trip, and awoke to see the soft blue glow of Alderaan.

While Anakin was landing the ship, Shaak Ti went to the back to change into her new lingerie. The _Twilight_ touched down, and she rushed inside to the bedroom. She waited patiently on the bed until she heard the door shut downstairs and the bedroom door flew open.

Anakin was overwhelmed at first by the sight of his wife in lingerie and stockings. He caught a glimpse of her beautiful red breasts.

"When did you get those?" he asked, walking towards her. He placed his hands on her back, slowly unclipping her bra. Shaak Ti didn't resist, smirking at him as her bra fell to the floor. She grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him back and landing on her back on the bed.

"These?" she said. "What do you think I was doing when I went out for "stuff" on Mandalore?"

He paused for a second, and she could almost see the gears turning inside his head. Once he was satisfied, he began coating her breasts with kisses. She pushed him back until he was standing upright, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and running her hands down his chest. She wrapped her arms under his shoulders, passionately kissing him. His hands wandered down her back, eventually coming to a stop on her shapely ass. He felt the waistline of her panties, placing his thumbs between them and her skin. He gently inched them down her waist, until they were resting mid-thigh. She broke the kiss, finishing what he had started.

She threw the panties across the room, getting on her knees before him. She smiled up at him, unbuttoning his pants. Her hands caressed his inner thighs, working their way up to his waistband. She sensually slid her fingers into his pants, pulling them down to his ankles and off his body. Her fingers returned to his waist, sensually rubbing his member before slowly pulling down his underwear. She looked down as she took them off, waiting until they were across the room to look up again. She saw his throbbing cock, licking her lips as her hands slowly rubbed down his length. Her lips delicately touched his tip, her tongue swirling in little circles on it. She stared up at him hungrily as more of his cock began to disappear into her mouth. He watched with awe and pleasure as she kept consuming more of his length, until it had almost disappeared entirely. She pulled back to the head, pushing forward again. She developed a steady rhythm, and Anakin had grabbed onto her lekku to keep himself from falling over.

She pulled all the way back, licking her lips and standing up. She took his hand, leading him towards the bed. She wrapped her arms around him, tilting her head and pulling his face towards hers, locking in a kiss. She pulled him backwards, landing on her back on the bed. She shook her hips near his, feeling his now hard cock against her belly. She broke the kiss and grabbed his cock, guiding him towards her entrance. He now had a clear view of her pussy, and could see the intricate white markings surrounding it.

"I've always liked the color red," Anakin whispered.

He leaned on top of her, resuming the kiss. He rubbed his tip against her pussy, squeezing her hand before gently pushing it in. She gasped in pleasure, and Anakin began thrusting deeper inside her. He didn't make it very far before feeling her wall. Anakin was as surprised as he was touched that a woman as beautiful as Shaak Ti was still a virgin.

Shaak Ti could feel him brushing against her wall, her fists tightly clenched as she grabbed the bedsheets. Once Anakin sensed she was ready, he pulled back before thrusting deep inside her, claiming her virginity for himself.

Her head tilted back as she screamed, breaking their kiss. Anakin stopped, enjoying the warmth on his cock as he waited for her to recover. She caught her breath, and nodded.

Anakin grabbed her spread thighs for support as he began bucking his hips. He used his hand to grab her face, pulling it towards his as he kissed her. She started moaning, and Anakin could feel her breasts and lekku bouncing as he thrust inside her.

They passionately made love to each other for what seemed like an eternity. Anakin could feel her pussy tightening around his cock. He felt pressure building as well, and had to use all of his willpower to keep from bursting before her.

Shaak Ti was panting now, and she had spread her legs even wider so he could go deeper. Anakin picked up the pace, until she began to squirm. She could feel herself coming close to climax, until finally her entire body tightened up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him towards her. He thrust his entire length inside her as waves of pleasure washed over her. Anakin grabbed her by the chin, locking their lips together in a tender kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, keeping his body pressed against hers. Anakin used his hands to caress her lekku, adding to her pleasure. She felt herself climax, and Anakin let himself do the same. He released his load deep inside her, pushing her over the edge with pleasure. Her screams had been reduced to an almost inaudible moan, as he laid on top of her, trying to catch his breath.

Shaak Ti basked in his warmth, feeling happier in that moment than ever before.

Anakin laid on top of her, feeling spent.

They were both exhausted, and eventually drifted of to sleep.

# # #

Shaak Ti awoke the next morning, her husband still inside her. She thought about last night, smiling at the thought of being married to Anakin.

He awoke to the image of his wife's naked body. He took in her naked form for a moment, before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Good morning, my love," he said tenderly. Her eyes opened slowly, and she instinctively covered them with her hand to block out the light assailing her.

She stretched her arms at her sides, kissing Anakin's cheek before lifting herself out of bed. Anakin stayed, watching her alluring form as she went to the refresher. The door slid closed with a faint _hiss_ , and he went to find clothes in their dresser. He wore a loose-fitting shirt and pants, typical of the townspeople on the planet.

She re-entered the room wearing a white shirt with a low-cut neck, and a skirt reaching just above her knees. Anakin was putting on his boots when he turned to face her.

"You look… amazing," he said, struggling to find the words to describe her beauty.

"You really think so?" she asked, gently rubbing her lekku.

"Absolutely, Shaak Ti." She smiled and opened the bedroom door, her fingers begging him to follow.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, they were greeted by the familiar sight of Ahsoka making breakfast. The air was filled with the delightful aroma of Ahsoka's cooking, which never ceased to amaze her parents.

"Hungry?" Ahsoka asked, smiling at them.

"Very," Anakin said, taking a seat at the table with Shaak Ti. Ahsoka brought them plates, each filled with eggs and meat.

They were all starving, and only stopped occasionally to take a breath between bites. In a few minutes, breakfast was over, and Shaak Ti and Anakin were talking at the table while Ahsoka did the dishes.

"What should we do today, my love?" Anakin asked.

Shaak Ti looked nervously at Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, can you give us a minute? Ani and I need to discuss something." She nodded and left the room.

Anakin took his wife's hands. "Is everything alright?" he asked, a concerned expression replacing his smile.

"Ani, do you… have you ever…" she said, thinking faster than she could speak. She took a deep breath, and looked Anakin in the eyes. "Have you ever thought of having children?"

Anakin paused for a moment, as if lost in thought. "I've always wanted a little boy or a little girl to call my own. Why do you ask?"

"Ani, I want to have children." Anakin looked taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. Shaak Ti continued: "I know it's only our honeymoon, but I _really_ want to have a baby sooner rather than later."

"Before we do anything, we need to know when you're fertile and able to carry children. Then we have to…" he was cut off by the familiar beeping of his wrist comm.

"Skywalker here."

"Anakin," replied Obi Wan, "the council wants you and Shaak Ti back. They have an assignment for both of you."

"Alright Obi Wan," he growled, "we'll be there as soon as we can. Thanks." He ended the transmission.

Shaak Ti was behind him, her gentle hands rubbing his shoulders. "Ani, everything's going to be OK. We can talk about this when we have more time." Anakin was staring right through her, his eyes looking a million miles away. "Ani?" she asked, snapping him back to reality. "Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine," he said. "I'll go start packing our bags."

Anakin and Shaak Ti changed back into their standard Jedi attire, loading the rest of their bags onto the _Twilight_ with Ahsoka before quickly zooming into the atmosphere. Anakin entered the coordinates to Coruscant, and moments the later the ship entered hyperspace with a lurch.

# # #

It had been two weeks since Anakin had returned to Coruscant from his honeymoon. The Jedi Council had tasked the newlywed couple with training younglings. Anakin taught the older ones lightsaber skills, while Shaak Ti instructed the younger ones on deflection.

Anakin found it increasingly difficult to focus on his assigned duties. Over the two weeks, Shaak Ti had been getting sick often, and one night even vomited. On top of that, she had been groaning all night, making it near impossible for Anakin to get any rest.

Anakin early one morning to find her still asleep. He got up, and went around to her side. He gently shook her arm, trying to wake her up.

"Shaak Ti, wake up," he said quietly, trying not to alarm her. "We have to go train the younglings again."

"I don't want to," she said. "Just let me sleep, OK?"

"We don't have much choice honey. The Council…" she force pushed him away before he could finish.

"I SAID NO! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET ME SLEEP?" She buried her face back on the pillow while Anakin stood dumbstruck. Anakin, fearing her wrath, quietly backed away and left the room. When he turned around, he saw Ahsoka come out of her room, still in her pajamas.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. "Why was mom yelling?"

Anakin kissed her forehead. "It's nothing, Snips. Your mom is just tired. Do you want to help me train younglings today?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Let me go get changed and we can leave." Anakin waited patiently outside her door until she was ready, and the two of them left the dorm.

# # #

It had been an hour since Anakin left. Shaak Ti was still lying in bed, her guilt pressing down on her like a vice. She didn't know why she snapped at Ani, but she hated herself for doing it. She stayed in bed for a while thinking about what she had done, before deciding to go apologize.

She quickly got changed, and made her way to the training rooms. When she arrived, both her husband and Ahsoka noticed her. Anakin asked Ahsoka to watch his group.

He walked over to her just as she let a few tears roll down her cheek.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Shaak Ti continued crying as she rested her face against his chest.

"I'm sorry Ani," she said, her voice dripping with emotion. "I'm so sorry for how I treated earlier. I don't understand why I did it. P-please don't leave me," she sobbed, her crying intensified to the point of pain.

"Shaak Ti, look at me," he said, but her face was still against his chest. "Please, look at me." He took her cheeks in his hands, lifting her face.

"My love, I will never leave you. I understand you are tired and I'm the one that should be apologizing to you. I'm just concerned for you."

"Why?" she asked, as Anakin wiped away her tears.

"Because you've been acting a bit differently since we came back from our honeymoon. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine Ani, I just…" she couldn't finish her sentence. She felt something rising from her stomach like a tsunami. She held her hand to her mouth and ran back to their dorm. She went straight to the refresher, dropping to her knees in front of the toilet before emptying the contents of her stomach.

Anakin and Ahsoka followed close behind. When he went into the dorm, he saw his wife hunched over the toilet. This was the second time in a week she had vomited, but neither of them was exactly sure why.

"Mom, are you OK?" Ahsoka asked. Shaak Ti nodded before throwing up again.

"That's it," Anakin said. "Sweetheart, I want you to come with me to the medical bay."

"Why?" she asked, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Because you are getting sicker every day, and I want to make sure you're not coming down with something." When Shaak Ti felt confident that her stomach had calmed, Anakin and Ahsoka helped her up and walked with her to the medical bay.

When they got past the door, a medical droid greeted them.

"Welcome, master Jedi. How may I be of service?" it asked in its metallic voice.

"Droid, run a full check up on Master Ti. She's been getting sicker and I want to make sure it's nothing serious."

"Of course. Please follow me." Anakin helped her onto the bed, and the droid began running tests. She felt a tingle on her arm, and realized that they were drawing blood. The droid removed the syringe and left the room. Moments later, it returned.

"I have completed my test of Master Ti."

"And?" Anakin asked impatiently.

"It appears that she is two weeks pregnant." The three of them were taken aback. Shaak Ti placed a hand on her stomach. She practically jumped off the bed, and threw herself at Anakin.

"Ani… I'm carrying our baby," she said, tears streaming freely down her face.

"I've never been happier before in my life," Anakin said. "What are we going to do?"

"You could ask the Council for a meditative retreat until the baby is born," Ahsoka chimed in.

"Great idea, Snips. Let's go ask right now."

# # #

The Council was in the middle of a discussion when the three Jedi entered the room. Everyone grew quiet, and all eyes were on the new arrivals.

Anakin cleared his throat. "Masters of the Jedi Council, we are sorry to interrupt, but this can't wait." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Shaak Ti is… pregnant."

There were hushed murmurs from some of the Council members. "We have come here today to ask for a one year meditative retreat, until the baby is born."

Master Windu looked at him. "Master Skywalker, the Council needs to discuss this. Please wait outside."

They waited anxiously outside the chamber doors. A few minutes later, the doors opened, and the trio entered.

"Discussed the situation, the Council has," Master Yoda began. "Approved your retreat, we have. Offer you our support in this matter, we will. Leave when you wish, you may."

"Thank you, Masters."

"May the Force be with you, Skywalkers," Obi Wan said, nodding to Anakin. They bowed, and left to begin packing.

They would be gone a long time, they took everything they could carry. The rooms looked deserted when they were finished.

The three Jedi boarded the _Twilight_. Anakin entered the coordinates for Alderaan into the nav-computer. "Snips, why don't you take the stick this time?"

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course. How will you get better if you never practice? Besides, I like to be chauffeured around once in a while."

Anakin sat next to Shaak Ti. She took his hand and smiled, her other hand grabbing the arm of her chair. Ahsoka checked the nav computer one more time, and the ship soared into hyperspace.

# # #

 _As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your thoughts and comments below, I look forward to reading them._

 _P.S. Sorry again this chapter took so long! I have plenty of free time now, so expect the next chapter soon!_

 _Until then, May the Force be with you all!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Sorry for the delay, I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had much time to write. Rest assured, I'm still working on the story, but it might be a bit longer between chapters now that I'm leaving for college in less than six weeks. That being said, I still plan to release at least 2 chapters a month, hopefully more. Thank you all for your support._

 _I've been on a roll with this chapter in the past couple days, and I don't see myself slowing down anytime soon. I couldn't wait any longer to post this chapter, so I'm splitting it into two parts so you don't have to wait as long._

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

 _# # #_

The _Twilight_ came out of hyperspace a few hours after leaving Coruscant. Shaak Ti was taking a nap, and Anakin found it hard to look away from her radiant form.

 _She's so beautiful when she's sleeping_ , he thought to himself.

She had her wrapped around him, and her head resting on his face. Her lekku traveled down from her head, leisurely resting on his waist. They were lighter than Anakin thought, and every time he touched them, Shaak Ti would stir slightly. His curiosity satiated, he nuzzled his head under her face. He could feel her hot breath on the back of her neck, sending a wave of pleasure down his spine.

Anakin gently eased himself out of her embrace and went to the cockpit. Ahsoka was in the co-pilot's chair, her hands on the flight stick as she gently maneuvered the Twilight towards their home. Anakin sat down quietly next to her.

"How's mom holding up?" Ahsoka asked, her eyes still fixed on the instruments in front of her.

"She's doing well, Snips. She really loves the baby, and I know she's going to be a wonderful mother."

"I know you'll make a great father, Skyguy."

"I'm don't know about that, Ahsoka," he responded. "I never had a father, so I don't know how to act or what to say." Anakin sensed that he had struck a chord, since neither he nor Ahsoka had a father.

"Anakin, you're a wonderful father. You and mom are doing a great job raising me. Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be a great dad to my little brother or sister."

They exchanged a quick smile, and Ahsoka began the final landing procedures. In the distance Anakin could see a figure awaiting their arrival.

The _Twilight_ landed with a soft _thud_ , and the hiss of the landing ramp. Ahsoka descended, only to be greeted by Senator Organa. Anakin went to wake Shaak Ti. He gently shook her awake, preparing himself for her wrath. Her eyes opened just as his closed. A few seconds of silence passed, before Anakin felt a hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes to find Shaak Ti awake, a look of concern plastered on her face.

"Anakin?" she asked, the white markings above her eyes furrowed. "Why did you have your eyes closed? What's wrong?" Anakin was taken aback at her lack of screaming.

"I thought you were going to get mad at me again for waking you and the baby," he replied.

"Why would I get mad?" she asked.

"Don't you remember what happened earlier? I woke you up this morning and you screamed and force pushed me away."

"Anakin… I'm so sorry," she said, sitting up and moving closer to him. "I guess that was the beginning of my mood swings. You'd better prepare yourself for more in a few months Ani."

"I know sweetheart. Its just the pregnancy, so I won't mind if you yell at me." I reached my hand out to her, and helped her stand up.

"Are we on Alderaan?" Anakin nodded, smiling. It was good to be home. He helped her up and led her outside. Senator Organa and Ahsoka were waiting by the doorsteps.

The house was two stories, with a garden in the front. The flowers were beginning to bloom, adorning the garden in a sea of small, colorful dots. The area was quiet, devoid of cities or other settlements. More than that, it was home.

"Greetings Master Skywalker, Master Ti, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Anakin appreciated the welcome, but didn't like the way he was treated. It brought back painful memories of his childhood on Tatooine. Anakin didn't dwell on it for long, since he had a wife and kids to take care of now. He promised himself that he wouldn't let them suffer in the same way he did. He wanted his children to be born the way he had always pictured, in a hospital with his family.

"Actually Bail, you can. Do you know if there's a hospital nearby?"

"Yes, there is one north of here. It's only a short ride from here by speeder. Why do you ask?"

Anakin wrapped his arm around Shaak Ti's waist, pulling her closer to him. "My wife here is pregnant, and we need to know just in case."

"Congratulations, you two!"

"Thank you, Bail," Anakin replied.

"Master Skywalker, if you two would like, I can send a nurse and doctor over to help with the pregnancy, in case she can't make it to the hospital in time."

"We would appreciate that," Shaak Ti remarked. "Thank you so much, Senator."

"My pleasure. Now, is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you again," he responded, humbly bowing his head in gratitude. Bail bowed in kind, and faded into the distance in his speeder. Once he was gone, Anakin used the force to carry their bags inside, while Ahsoka helped Shaak Ti.

Once Anakin was finished, he met his wife and daughter in the living room. Shaak Ti was rubbing her stomach, and Anakin's child-like curiosity emerged.

"Hey sweetie," he asked, "how do Togruta experience pregnancy?"

Ahsoka responded instead. "What do you mean, Dad?"

"I was just wondering if your mother experiences pregnancy in the same way as a human female?"

"I believe that Togruta go through the same process as human women," Shaak Ti answered, "I guess that's one thing out species have in common, Ani." Anakin leaned in to kiss her, and Ahsoka let out a fake cough.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," Ahsoka said, sounding slightly annoyed, "but can I ask you something?"

Anakin pulled back, returning to his previous position. "Of course, Snips. What's on your mind?"

"Will I ever get pregnant and have kids of my own someday?"

Faster than a womp rat, Anakin replied. "That's a conversation for when you're older."

"Honey," Shaak Ti said, "she's fifteen already. I think she's old enough to know. Besides, she's at an age where she'll probably find out on her own anyways, so I'd rather us tell her first."

"Do you know about sex, Ahsoka?" she said.

"I know that a man sticks his cock inside a woman's pussy, and its supposed to feel good," she said innocently. Anakin and Shaak Ti were shocked, and started to blush.

"Where did you hear that?" Anakin inquired.

"I heard some civies talk about it on some of our missions."

"Well, normally a woman gets pregnant by having sex," Anakin said.

"When do I get to have sex?" Ahsoka asked, again completely innocent.

"Not until you are at least 25 years old and I've met your boyfriend, then we can discuss it."

Shaak Ti and Ahsoka looked at him, half expecting him to start laughing, but his face showed the seriousness in his words.

Shaak Ti looked at her stomach and thought to herself, _Guess we'll have to wait, right baby?_

# # #

It had been two months since Shaak Ti found out she was pregnant. She and Anakin had spent the time redecorating the house to their liking. Money wasn't an issue, since the council would provide them with credits.

Anakin spent most of the credits fixing up the house, while Shaak Ti bought maternity clothes. Ahsoka bought groceries for the family. Bail made sure we didn't have to pay any bills.

Shaak Ti could feel the baby's force signature. When she and Anakin put their hands on her belly, the baby would kick, reassuring Shaak Ti of the baby's health. Every time Anakin felt her stomach, Shaak Ti grew to love him even more, and knew he would love their child just as much.

Bail Organa sent a doctor and nurse to the house. They lived in a newly built cottage behind the main home, so that Shaak Ti wouldn't have to travel more than a few meters to see a doctor.

Anakin and Shaak Ti were relaxing in bed, feeling the baby's not-so-gentle kicks. Anakin would put his hand on Shaak Ti's belly and pull away last minute, playing a game with the baby.

After a few times, Anakin noticed the pained expression on his wife's face. He stopped immediately, sensing that the kicks were beginning to hurt.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked.

"It's starting to hurt, isn't it?"

"A little, but it's cute to see you play with the baby."

"Speaking of which," he said, gently kissing her hand, "have you thought of any baby names?"

"Well, I've thought of one name," she replied, "what do you think of Brandon if it's a boy?"

"Great name, my love!" He attacked her face with an endless barrage of kisses, as she smiled and giggled.

"What about you, Ani? Have you thought of a name for our baby?"

"If we have a daughter, I want to name her Stephanie."

"I love that name. Brandon for a son and Stephanie for a girl! Love it!" she threw herself over at him and he caught her in his arms. She laid her head on his chest, slowly drifting off to sleep…

# # # 

Shaak Ti awoke the next morning, her head still on Ani's chest. The sun was peeking just above the mountains in the distance, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. A perfect day, like most days in the Alderaani countryside.

The subtle aroma of wildflowers lazily drifted through the window, carried by a gentle breeze. She sat up slightly to get a better view, being careful as not to disturb her sleeping husband. She was taken aback by what she saw: the full breadth of Alderaan's natural beauty in plain view. She could see the small white snowy tips of the mountains on the horizon, and at its feet the immense lake. A herd of animals were nearby it, casually drinking in the cool, clean water. The trees swayed back and forth with the breeze, dancing to a rhythm only they could hear. The tall grass on the plains was dotted with vibrant blues, purples, reds, yellows, oranges, and other bright colors of the wildflowers that she and Ahsoka would sometimes pick.

She felt Anakin stir next to her, and gently placed her hand atop his. "Good morning, my love," she whispered, planting a small kiss on his cheek. His eyes slowly opened, until he could clearly see the radiant image of his wife's face in front of him.

"Hello beautiful," Anakin sleepily replied. He gently lifted his body up, leaning against the headboard.

Just like his wife, Anakin too was taken aback by the planet's natural beauty. Gone were the harsh deserts, crowded streets, and searing heat of Mos Espa from his childhood, or the towering skyscrapers of Coruscant, instead replaced by serene meadows, a cool breeze, and most importantly, peace and quiet. It truly was a sight to behold.

"This planet is beautiful Ani," she remarked.

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied. She smiled, moving aside to allow Anakin to sit fully upright on the side of the bed. He leaned in to kiss her, and as their lips met, everything else melted away, leaving only her lips and the delicate movements of her tongue. Shaak Ti broke the seal, resting her head on his shoulder. She looked up into his eyes.

"What do you want to do today, my love?" she asked him, her hand slowly caressing his other shoulder.

"Well, I was hoping to run into town to grab spare parts to fix some things around here while Ahsoka gets groceries, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all. I'd rather not have something break at a bad time."

"Oh and Ani?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Ahsoka told me yesterday that she's made some friends in town, and they were going to go ride kaadu in the valley later. While she's gone…" Shaak Ti let her hand glide down Anakin's back, gently caressing him. He knew exactly what she was going to say, and he liked it.

"Only if you're up to it; I don't want you to get too tired," he teased, receiving a playful slap from his wife.

"We'll see who's tired when I'm done with you, Master Skywalker."

He pretended to be shocked, but responded in kind. "You're on."

She laughed, and took Anakin's hand. He helped her up, and carefully led her down the stairs. Ahsoka had already made breakfast for them and left it on the table, with a note saying that she went to take a swim in the lake, and would be back soon. Anakin sat across from her, telling stories of his adventures with Obi Wan and Ahsoka, much to the amusement of his wife.

"...so we're going to destroy the droid shield generators on Cristophsis, and mind you I had only met my new padawan a few hours ago, and we've managed to sneak past the droid armored columns hiding under a crate. Once they passed, Ahsoka spotted the generators. It's only about 50 meters from us, with no guards in sight. Ahsoka takes off running towards it, and trips a droid antenna. Suddenly all these huge droids pop out of the ground and start taking swings at her, so she gets this _great_ _idea_ to use the force and bring down a nearby wall."

"Why was that so bad?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Well, what she neglects to mention in her retellings of the story is that I happened to be standing directly underneath that wall, and if there hadn't been a hole in it, I wouldn't be here right now."

She burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You two are so alike. You're not related, but even before we adopted her she took after you."

Anakin laughed, "I never thought of it that way, but I guess you're right."

Once she managed to control her laughter, she implored him to continue.

"Right, where was I? Oh yeah, so she brings this wall down, crushing all the droids. We destroyed the generator, while Obi Wan distracted the separatist general with ' _terms of surrender_ ' (imagine Anakin used air quotes here). Long story short, when I got back, he had managed to capture their general, and forced them to surrender instead."

"That does seem like something he'd do."

While Anakin quickly racked his brain for another adventure, Ahsoka quietly came through the front door.

"Good morning mom and dad!" she said, waving. She joined them at the table, and they kissed her good morning.

"What's up Snips?" Anakin asked.

"Well, I went down to the lake, and suddenly this big fish-thing lunges out of the water. I was about to use my lightsaber when I saw it grab a bird mid-flight. It landed back in the water, and slowly came towards me. I was nervous, but then it started nuzzling up against my leg. I don't really know what it is, but I was going to ask my friends later today. Maybe you two would like to come see it tomorrow? I'm sure the water would feel great."

"We'd love to," Shaak Ti said.

"Great! Well, I'm going to go change and head to the market, if Dad wants to come with me."

"I'd love to go, Snips. I need to pick up some parts anyways, so maybe you could give me a hand."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to change."

She ran upstairs, leaving her parents alone at the table again.

"I guess this means breakfast is over," Shaak Ti said with a chuckle, grabbing their plates and taking them to the sink.

"Survey says: Yes!"

She smiled. He always knew how to make her laugh.

Anakin helped with her with the dishes, finishing just as Ahsoka came down the stairs.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep. Although I'd suggest you hold on tight, I upgraded the engine and I want to test it out."

She smiled, following him to the garage. Anakin kissed his wife, hopping onto the speeder and revving the engine. R2 was nearby, and rolled next to Shaak Ti. The boosters fired, and the speeder zoomed into the distance, until it was only a dot on the horizon. She went back inside, followed by R2.

# # #

Anakin parked the speeder, and the two went in opposite directions. Ahsoka went to buy groceries, while Anakin went to buy parts for appliances, the Twilight, the speeder, and if he could find them, a couple droids for around the house.

He found the parts he needed rather quickly, and decided to continue browsing the store. The owner saw him and walked over.

"Hello sir! Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Actually, I am. I was wondering if you have any speeders or droids in stock?"

"We do indeed, sir, we do indeed. If you'll follow me, I'll show you what I've got out back."

Anakin followed the man outside to an outdoor storage area. There were crates everywhere, most sealed, but some open and containing parts that interested Anakin.

"Now, you said you wanted a speeder and some droids?"

Anakin nodded.

"Let me show you the speeders first." He led Anakin around a corner to a small area with a few speedercars and bikes. Some were brand new, while others had clearly seen many previous owners and needed repairs. He scanned the lot, until he saw a mid-sized speedercar with a large open space in the rear, supposedly for hauling things. It was open-topped, and from his initial inspection was in need of basic repairs.

"What about that one?" Anakin said, pointing at the speedercar.

"This was a custom order model that a customer ordered a few years ago. He used it to haul farm supplies, before he sold it to me and got a larger vehicle. It needs some repairs, but once it's fixed it runs like a dream."

"Well, I need something that can carry more than our speederbike, but I don't want to spend too much. My wife's pregnant, and this would be perfect for bringing home things like a crib and other baby stuff."

"I'm a parent myself, and I remember what it was like expecting your first, so I'll make you a deal. How's about 3200 credits, and I throw in all the parts to repair it?"

Anakin shook his hand. "You've got a deal."

"Excellent! Now, let's go look at the droids."

# # #

Ahsoka was walking out of the market with the groceries when her wrist-comm started beeping. She answered, and a blue image of Anakin's face appeared.

"Hey Snips, how's the shopping going?"

"Good, I'm on my way to the bike now," she replied.

"Great. See you there."

She was surprised to see Anakin standing near a decent-sized speedercar.

"Dad?" She asked quizzically.

"Hey Snips, didn't see ya there."

"What is this?" she asked, pointing to the new vehicle.

"Oh, this? Not much yet. Just bought it from a merchant to bring home all the parts I bought. It needs a little work, so we're going to have to tow it back with the bike. Do you want to drive?"

"Sure thing Skyguy!"

"Great. Just don't go too fast, or you'll lose the link with the car."

# # #

Shaak Ti was sitting on the bench outside, waiting anxiously for Anakin to return. It usually didn't take them this long to come home.

 _Maybe they got distracted in town_ , she thought to herself.

As if on cue, her communicator started beeping. She activated it, and saw Anakin's face.

"Hey Shaak Ti, we're close to home. Sorry we didn't check in with you sooner."

"It's alright my love, just come back safe."

"Roger. Over and out."

She chuckled, and started scanning the horizon for the speeder. She was confused when she saw the speeder being followed by a larger vehicle that she didn't recognize.

As the pair of speeders pulled up to the house, Shaak Ti realized that Ahsoka was driving.

"What's this?" Shaak Ti asked, looking at the unfamiliar speedercar.

"Dad bought it to bring home the parts he needed."

"I see. Where is your dad?"

"Right here, honey," he yelled, hopping out of the car. He gave her a hug, and asked Ahsoka to help her inside while he brought the car into the garage.

Inside, Ahsoka helped her mother sit on the couch. Anakin came in from the garage.

"Ahsoka, the speeder's waiting outside for you. Go have fun with your friends."

"Thanks dad!" she exclaimed, practically running out the door.

"Got what you needed?" Shaak Ti asked. He nodded.

He kissed her cheek, and went upstairs to change. A few minutes later, he returned wearing clean clothes, his hair still damp from the shower. He sat next to his wife on the couch, letting her rest her head on his chest. She turned on the holo-tv, but only half-paid attention, instead letting herself get lost in Anakin's warmth and the tenderness of his embrace.

# # #

 _As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your thoughts and comments below, I look forward to your feedback._

 _Sorry again this is so late! On the bright side, the Clone Wars TV show is coming back! Can't wait to watch it!_

 _May the Force be with all of you, always!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's note: This is the continuation of chapter 13. I originally planned to go through Shaak Ti's pregnancy month-by-month, but since there are only so many things I can have them do without becoming repetitive, I decided to take the story down a slightly different path, so that life on Alderaan doesn't get boring for you, the fans._

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

It had been over a month since Anakin had bought the speedercar, but for Shaak Ti it felt like just yesterday. The days seemed to blend together, becoming a continuous stream of beautiful days, fun with the family, and spending quality time with her husband.

Anakin and his wife were sitting on a patio bench, watching the sunset together. She leaned against his side, his strong arm resting on her shoulders.

"Honey?" Shaak Ti asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"Yes?"

"You've been spending a lot of time in the garage lately… are you ok?" she asked.

"Of course my love, don't worry about it," he said, avoiding the topic. This had become a trend, Shaak Ti noticed, as every time she would ask him about it, he deflected.

"As long as you're alright," she replied, not wanting to push him further.

They stayed cuddled up against each other well after the sunset. The air was warm enough to sleep without blankets, and the glow of fireflies became a show in of itself. Bathed in the soft moonlight, she let herself drift off to sleep.

# # #

"Good morning Mom," Ahsoka whispered, leaning in to kiss her mother's cheek.

"Wha…?" she said, only partially awake.

"It's already afternoon, but I made lunch for you two. It's on the table inside."

"Afternoon already?" Shaak Ti asked.

Ahsoka nodded. "You two looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you. But, I also couldn't let you sleep all day." She helped her mother stand up, and went about waking up Anakin while Shaak Ti groggily wandered inside.

She sat down at the table, soon joined by Anakin. They ate breakfast in silence, neither of them fully awake. The food gave them some energy, and they started talking about the day.

"I know we missed a good part of the day, but how would you like to spend the rest of it?" she asked, looking at her husband.

"I was going to work in the garage for a little while, if that's alright with you?"

"It's fine, dear. Maybe today you can show me what you've been doing?"

Anakin looked her in the eyes and said, "You're going to love it!"

She smiled. His childlike enthusiasm was one of his best qualities. He ran off to the garage, and she laid down quietly on the couch.

# # #

"Almost got it," Anakin muttered to himself. He had spent most of his time in the garage over the past week replacing all the worn-out and mismatched components in the WED 15 septoid 2 "toolkit" treadwell droid. It was equipped with an array of arms attached to a flat base, each with different tools for specific tasks. A central beam housed its binocular-like eyes, and a set of treads allowed it to move.

He closed the flap on top of the droid's eyes, and tentatively turned it on. Its head moved slightly, before stopping again. He smacked the top of its eyes, and it whirred to life.

"Great, now all I have to do is get that damn labor droid working," he said. He had bought a medical droid, along with various parts from other droids. In theory, he could take the medical droid's body, with its general-purpose arms, and give it new programming, allowing it to become an all-purpose droid for almost anything around the house. It could help with cooking and cleaning, yard work, repairs, and other tasks. However, getting the droid to work properly would take time.

Anakin put a tarp over the medical droid, and led the treadwell inside.

"Honey, I've got something to show you," he said.

She sat up, and saw the droid waiting patiently beside Anakin, its head on a swivel, taking in the new surroundings.

"A droid, eh? Obi Wan told me how you built one when you were a kid."

"Old habits die hard," Anakin said. "I bought this one and fixed it up to help us around the house. Since you're pregnant, I thought it would be helpful to have an extra hand around here."

"I agree. It's been getting harder to stay on my feet, so having some help is always appreciated."

"I couldn't agree more," he replied.

Anakin nodded to the droid, and it quietly left the room.

"Ani?" she asked.

"Yes, my love?"

"Where's Ahsoka?"

"She and some friends wanted to go camping by the lake, so I told her she could go."

"I guess she won't be home tonight," Shaak Ti replied. "You know, we never got to have our alone time the other day…"

Anakin quickly whisked her off the couch, carrying her bridal-style to the bedroom. He gently placed her down on the bed, throwing off his shirt.

"Ani" she purred, "make love to me!"

Anakin didn't hesitate, discarding his remaining clothes and jumping on the bed. He helped her disrobe, and locked lips with her. He gently guided himself inside her, being careful with her belly.

They reaffirmed their love for each other with a burning passion, each craving the other more than life itself.

# # #

After that night, a pattern seemed to emerge that would hold true for the following month or so. Ahsoka would spend half the week with her friends, and the rest at home. Her parents would spend their nights on the couch or watching the sunset, and spend time with Ahsoka every other night.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Shaak Ti was watching HoloTV with Ahsoka and Anakin. Anakin sat on the couch, his legs spread wide, while Shaak Ti sat next to him. Ahsoka sat on the floor in front of the couch, leaning back against it.

They were watching late-night comedy, something that Shaak Ti usually loved. Anakin was a bit confused then, by her unusual silence during most of the program. He contemplated reaching for his wife, but decided it best to let her initiate.

About halfway through the program, Shaak Ti stood up from the couch, turned off the HoloTV, and stared directly into Anakin's eyes.

"Do you think I'm fat?" she asked bluntly, taking him by surprise.

"Of course not, sweetheart," he replied without second thought, "you're perfect just the way you are." Anakin got up, walking towards her. He stood in front of her, sensing her anger threatening to explode at any minute.

"YES I AM, LIAR!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "YOU HAVEN'T TOUCHED ME OR MADE LOVE IN A WHILE! YOU PROBABLY THINK I'M FAT AND UNATTRACTIVE NOW! JUST GET OUT OF HERE!"

Anakin stood dumbstruck before his wife. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong (he probably hadn't), but remembered that one of the effects of pregnancy was emotional outbursts and mood swings. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. She resisted for a few moments, but he didn't release her. She stopped fighting him, and Anakin tilted his head down to look into her eyes. Her anger dissipated like the morning mist on a hot day, instead replaced by a thin haze of confusion, behind which laid sadness. She wrapped her arms around him, and began to sob into his chest.

"Shhh," he said, rubbing her back, "it's okay sweetheart. I'm here for you, so just let it out." She tried to apologize amid her sobs, but struggled to form the words.

"I'm...s-so...so...sorry...A-A...Ani...so...sorry...sorry…"

"Don't apologize, my love. I know you don't mean it. Just know that I'm always here for you, ok?"

She nodded into his chest, continuing to sob. Anakin saw from the corner of his eye that Ahsoka had tears in her eyes. She got up and hugged her parents.

"It's ok, mom. You know dad and I still love you. Nothing can ever change that."

Ahsoka reached for her mother's hand, and Anakin gently stroked her lekku. Anakin could hear her mind, her thought that Anakin hated her and the baby for what she had just done.

"Listen to me, my love," Anakin said, lifting her chin to see his eyes. "I don't hate either of you. I could never hate you or the baby. Don't ever, even for a second, think like that again. It pains me when you say or think like that. We will always love you, right Ahsoka?"

"Of course!"

"Shaak Ti, you are the light of my life, and the reason I get up in the morning. Your compassion knows no bounds, and you put up with me when you could just as easily leave. You're a strong, caring, incredible wife, and I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd give my life to be a tenth of the person you are right now."

"Mom, you were one of the first people that I met at the temple that truly understood me. I always looked up to you as a mother, and you were always there when I needed you most. The past few months as your daughter have been the happiest of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

They stayed there, locked in each others' embrace.

# # #

Ahsoka spent the next day out with her friends, racing speeders through the meadow. Anakin woke up early, quietly getting out of bed and making his way downstairs. He brewed a fresh pot of coffee, and attempted to cook breakfast.

He returned to their bedroom to find his wife sound asleep. He carefully laid down the breakfast tray, kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Good morning," he whispered. "I have a surprise for you." 

"Mhm…" she muttered.

"Honey, I have a surprise for you if you wake up."

She shot upright, her eyes wide open.

"What's burning? I smell something burning!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, my love. Nothing's on fire."

"Anakin, I smell _something_ burning."

"Well… that might be breakfast."

He gave her the tray. He had made her eggs, sausage, and toast. The sausage turned out wonderfully, but the toast had almost turned black, and the eggs didn't look very appealing either. At least the coffee smelled good.

"Ani, did you do this for me?" she asked.

"I certainly tried. I think I'll start taking lessons with you in the morning though, unless you want to save money on pest control."

Shaak Ti laughed, cautiously taking a bite of the sausage.

"Oh my goodness, Ani," she said. "This sausage is incredible! Where did you learn to make it?"

"Mos Espa. It's a long story."

She took a sip of the coffee. "This is really good!"

"You learn a thing or two when you have to stay up for 48 hours at a time during a battle."

He sat down next to her.

"Ani, I'm really sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me and…"

He put a finger on her lips. "It's alright. You don't have to explain yourself."

She nodded, hugging him. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

Anakin pulled away. "You're sausage is getting cold," he said.

She agreed, devouring it with a voracity befitting of a POW.

Anakin took the tray downstairs, and Shaak Ti got out of bed to shower.

Anakin quickly cleaned the dishes, eager to tinker in the garage. He still had to fix up the speedercar. When he opened the hood, he was amazed by the state of disrepair. It was a wonder the thing hadn't fallen apart on the way back.

" _All it needs is some love and a little Skywalker charm,_ " he thought to himself. The central engine had a hole in it he couldn't explain, the chassis was rusted out and looked ready to buckle, there were burn marks around the repulsor drive, and the underside was mostly exposed. Luckily, the merchant had given him more than enough parts. " _One problem at a time_ ," he thought.

# # #

Shaak Ti was sitting on the couch wearing a sundress. She didn't know where Anakin had gone, but knew he couldn't have gotten far. Her questions didn't go unanswered for long, as she heard a bang from the garage followed by a loud "Damnit!"

She ran from the couch, her mind filled with worry. She opened the door and saw him lying under the speeder.

"Honey, are you alright? I heard a bang." 

"I'm fine, my love. Just hit my head on this damn thing."

"As long as you're ok. Do you need any help?"

"Yeah. Can you hand me the fusion cutter? It's the one on the far left, you can't miss it." 

She looked for the item in question among the mess of scattered tools, wondering how anyone could be so disorganized. She looked for a moment, before noticing it sitting on the edge of the table. She handed it to Anakin.

"Thanks, Love. Let me close this up, and I'll be in shortly."

"It's alright if you want to keep working. I'll stay here and keep you company."

He rolled out from under the car. "You know, I think that'll give me just the motivation I need to finish fixing this fekkin' thing."

She giggled. "How bad is it?" she inquired.

"It's not good," he said from under the car. "The central engine has a hole in it I can't identify, so it needs to be replaced, the underside is exposed, the repulsors have burn marks around them, so I'm not sure what condition they're in, and the chassis is completely rusted out. Luckily, I'm a damn-good mechanic."

"And a very egotistical one," she replied.

"When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest!" he quipped, eliciting a roar laughter from her.

"So what's new with you, honey?" he asked.

"Not much, to be honest," she said. "I've been in touch with some of my friends in the Temple, and apparently it's taking longer than we thought to defeat the Separatists. They still have a strong presence in the Outer Rim, and apparently they've managed to retake several key planets out there too."

Anakin looked deeply troubled. "Did your friends say which planets?"

"Tatooine, Geonosis, Mygeeto, and several others. Why?"

Anakin sighed. "I lost a lot of good men on Geonosis."

That gave her pause for thought, remembering all the places she had lost troops.

They stayed silent for a while; only the sound of Anakin working on the car interrupted the silence. Finally, Shaak Ti decided to lighten the mood.

"What about you, Ani? Heard from anyone back at the temple?"

He slid himself out from under the car, sitting up to face her. "Actually, I have. Obi-Wan told me that the Council has dispatched a small team of Jedi and clones to search for the Separatists' new droid foundries, and investigate reports of numerous dark Jedi on the newly conquered planets. He didn't tell me where they are sending him."

Shaak Ti paused for a moment, letting what he had said sink in. "Well, I hope Obi-Wan isn't in too much danger right now."

# # #

Blaster bolts whizzed past Obi-Wan's face, singing the ends of his beard. "Sir, can we stay at a different resort next time? I'm finding the service here to be _subpar,_ " Commander Cody jested.

"I would agree. I'll have one of the men look into it as soon as we reach the front desk to check out."

"I'd say my biggest complaint here sir, is that the staff are just _so_ unfriendly. It's like they want to kill us or something."

One of the droids threw a grenade, which Obi-Wan force-pushed back towards them, sending mechanical limbs flying in all directions.

They had achieved a moment of reprieve.

"Right, let's keep moving," Obi-Wan said. He and his small team had been sent to investigate reports of massive new droid foundries on Mygeeto.

The Separatists had lost key production facilities when the republic recaptured Geonosis, so the Council was baffled when the droids attacked with such a massive invasion fleet.

"Sir, you should come see this," Cody called. One of his men was holding a frightened technician at gunpoint.

"Sir, the technician won't talk," Waxer stated matter-of-factly.

"Let me handle this, Waxer," Obi-Wan replied. He waved his hand in front of the man. "You will tell me your duty here," he said.

"I will...tell you my duty here," the technician replied, as if in a trance. "I am a technician at this facility. My job is to oversee the production of droids at this facility."

"Are there other facilities?"

"Y-yes, there are others, but I know not where they are. All I know is that I'm supposed to send reports to the main facility. Our purpose is to keep production numbers up while the main production plant is completed, and after that time augment production with our facilities here."

"Main facility? Where is it?"

"I don't know, but command said it will be the largest droid plant in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan used the force to knock the man unconscious.

"I think we've seen enough here. Cody, fire up the shuttle. We need to speak to the Council immediately."

# # #

Back on Coruscant, the Council was discussing the ongoing situation in the Outer Rim.

"...that's exactly why we need to launch a full-scale invasion of the planet," Master Mundi said emphatically.

"I disagree. A full-scale invasion of Geonosis will take away troops from other areas, and weaken our defense. I'd rather not lose ten planets just to gain one."

"See both points, I do. In agreement with Master Windu, I am. Defend our space, we must, until more troops we have."

The council nodded in agreement.

"Now, what of the Jedi recon teams we sent to search for the droid production facilities?" Master Plo Koon inquired.

"Our three teams have found nothing but dead ends or medium-sized droid foundries, not capable of the level of production to sustain the massive invasion force. The fourth team is being led by Master Kenobi. We're still waiting on his report," Master Windu said.

# # #

"Fire up the engines Hotshot, we're leaving."

"So soon, Commander?"

"General Kenobi found something on the planet that he needs to bring to the Jedi Council ASAP, so we're cutting our vacation short," Cody said.

"Are we expecting a valet?" he asked.

"No, why?"

Hotshot pointed out the front viewport to a group of rolling droidekas on an intercept course with the shuttle.

"We have to leave NOW!" Cody yelled. He ran to take his seat, quickly securing himself beside Obi-wan.

"Cody, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Rollers!" Cody half-yelled.

"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking," Hotshot said calmly over the intercom. "We're experiencing some unexpected issues, so we'll be departing ahead of schedule. Please fasten your seatbelts, as we might experience a little turbulence."

"A little" was an understatement. The ship lurched off the ground as Hotshot zoomed into the atmosphere. The ship rolled abruptly left and right as droid anti-air shells exploded around the ship, leaving behind large puffs of black smoke. Some of the clones barfed into their helmets as the ship spun around.

The ship entered orbit in what felt like hours, although in reality had been only a couple of minutes. Cody instinctively gripped the bars of the safety harness as the ship was pulled forward into hyperspace.

# # #

The Jedi Council was discussing the war when Obi-wan's hologram appeared in the center of the room. What had been a lively debate fell silent as all eyes turned to him.

"Masters, I apologize for my interruption, but this is urgent. The Council was correct to believe that droid foundries such as the one on Mygeeto are incapable of the level of production needed for the massive droid army. We've learned through interrogation and searching the computers that the facility here is only designed to supplement production while a much larger main facility is being constructed. The technician we interrogated said it is supposed to be the largest droid foundry in the galaxy."

"This is deeply troubling, Master Kenobi. Once the other teams return, we'll dispatch more recon groups to investigate this matter further. As for you, we're sending you on another mission. For now, rendezvous with the nearby Cruiser _Indomitable_ to resupply. We'll brief you once you arrive."

"Understood," Obi-Wan replied with a bow. Windu nodded, and the transmission ended.

"Pilot, set a course for the Cruiser _Indomitable_. We're going on another mission."

# # #

Two clone landing officers sat behind a desk, placed behind a large window overlooking the rest of the hangar from above.

"I can't believe we got put on landing control duty," Apollo said.

"Yeah, sucks we're not going anywhere with some action," Backdraft replied, walking to the other room to get a cup of caf.

An alarm started beeping on the desk. "Hey Backdraft! I've got a shuttle coming in to land."

"A shuttle?" Backdraft flipped through the flight schedule on his datapad. "I don't see it on the list. Call the bridge."

"Bridge," the officer said impatiently.

"We've got a shuttle requesting permission to land, but there aren't any scheduled arrivals today."

"Yep, this one's special. Someone coming to resupply. Admiral said to let them through."

Apollo looked hesitantly at Backdraft. "Understood. We'll start landing procedures now."

Backdraft got on the radio. "Republic shuttle, you are cleared to land. Disengage your engines and the tractor beams will guide you in."

The ship landed on short metal legs, and the rear ramp descended with a hiss. Obi-Wan stretched his arms at his sides, and led the small group of clones to their assigned quarters. A maintenance crew began immediately on the ship, while other clones loaded fresh supplies onto the ship.

Obi-wan found his quarters: a standard issue bed, a small desk, and a light. Not much in the way of comfort, but it got the job done. He was exhausted, so when his head hit the pillow he went out like a light.

# # #

In the morning, Obi-Wan's small team of troops from the 212th helped load some gear onto the shuttle. The team consisted of Obi-Wan, Cody, 12 troopers divided into 2 squads, and the two pilots. Obi-Wan slipped away during breakfast to be briefed on the bridge.

An image of Masters Yoda and Windu appeared. "Master Kenobi," Windu began, "we have received strange energy readings coming from the surface of Dantooine. They're faint, but since we can't identify them and they don't conform to any known patterns, we believe they may be linked to the Separatists. We need you to investigate."

"I shall leave at once."

"One more thing - be on your guard. We don't know what you might face down there, so be cautious."

"Understood. Thank you for the advice."

"Return safely, we hope you do," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan bowed, and ended the transmission. He returned to the mess hall to find his men finishing up breakfast.

"Where are we going sir?" Cody asked.

"Dantooine. Hurry and finish up, we're leaving at once."

# # #

He was on Dantooine when he was ambushed among the ruins of the old Jedi Enclave. What had once been a Jedi stronghold had been reduced to rubble during the Jedi Civil War two thousand years ago. Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a little sad, knowing that many Jedi must have died here when it was destroyed from orbit.

"Sir, you might want to take a look at this," Cody called.

"What is it?" He asked Obi-Wan, studying the strange object. It was a small, thin rectangle-shaped piece of metal, with what appeared to be connectors on one end. In the middle was a screen.

"I believe it's an ancient form of datapad," Obi-Wan replied. "It's probably out of power. See if one of your men can find a data reader and hook up a battery."

"Yes sir."

While they were looking for a data reader, Obi-Wan began to explore other areas of the Enclave. He walked down a hallway until he found what appeared to be the Enclave Council chambers. There was a large, circular open area on the floor, and a door nearby. Part of the circle was covered by rubble, but as he was looking around he noticed a skeletal hand poking out from underneath. He used the force to clear the debris, and discovered a complete skeleton attached to the hand. Beside it was a lightsaber and another datapad. He retrieved both, and was walking back to his men when the Datapad flickered to life.

It began playing a recorded message. "Begin recording. The council has called an emergency session to discuss the troubling news regarding the strange ruins nearby. Our newest Jedi, the man who was formerly Revan, has discovered that it is a temple dedicated to the 'Builders.' From his account and our own visit to the site, we have learned that the facility is over 20,000 years ago. An information droid there speaking in ancient Selkath described the Builders as a race that had colonized the entire galaxy, and enslaved all other species. The temple had been constructed to commemorate their achievements. The droid also told us that Revan and Malak had entered previously, having passed the trials required for entry into the main chamber. With some assistance from Bastila and Revan, we discovered a star map. It contained incomplete coordinates for something the droid called the 'Star Forge,' although as of now we do not know its purpose or location. The map contained a visual representation of the galaxy, and highlighted planets we were able to identify as Tatooine, Manaan, Korriban, and Kashyyyk. We await a full report from Revan and Bastila. End recording."

Obi-Wan was stunned. He had learned about the wars between the Jedi and the Sith during his training, but he had never heard of this "Star Forge," or of the mission carried out by the two Jedi mentioned. He had to tell the Council.

He returned to his troops as they were connecting the makeshift battery to the datapad reader. The machine whirred to life, and Cody inserted the pad. A red light began to flash near the pad, and the inscription above it indicated that the datapad was corrupted.

"Damn! All that work for nothing," one of the clones yelled.

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan replied. "I found a working datapad with enough information to keep the Council busy for a week. Gearshift, contact the Jedi Temple on secure frequency Omega 31A."

"Understood, sir. I'll get on it right away."

"Right. In the meantime Cody, have your men establish a perimeter. I don't want uninvited guests."

It took Gearshift less than five minutes to establish the connection.

A clone comms officer appeared on the screen. "This is a secure channel. Identify yourself."

"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I need to speak to the Jedi Council immediately."

"Understood. One moment."

The screen shifted to show all the members of the Council sitting in their chairs, with Obi-Wan in the center.

"Master Kenobi, what progress have you made?" Plo Koon asked.

"I have found an ancient datapad with what appears to be an official log from the satellite Jedi Council that once existed here. I'm transmitting the data now."

Obi-Wan waited patiently while the Council watched the log. When it finished, Master Yoda spoke up. "Summon Master Nu, I will. Know more than I, she does."

Master Jocasta Nu's hologram appeared next to Obi-Wan. She watched the log, and everyone waited patiently for her to speak.

"What is the source of this?" she inquired.

"A datapad found in the ruins of the former Jedi Enclave on Dantooine."

"I see. If that's the case, then this must have been from the time of the Great Galactic War, between the Republic and the Sith, over two-thousand years ago. To fully understand this, I must give context. Forty years before the recording, the Great Sith War had come to a close. Many Jedi had died, and millions of innocents had perished from the fighting. So, when the Mandalorians started conquering worlds in the Outer Rim in almost twenty years later, the Republic and the Jedi didn't intervene. Ten years passed, and the Mandalorians had kept their conquests limited to worlds outside the Republic, in the Outer Rim. After three years of small skirmishes with Republic forces on the edge of Republic space, the Mandalorians invaded Taris, and soon after launched a full-scale invasion of the Republic. The Republic had already declared war on the Mandalorians after the invasion of Taris, although the Council had maintained a policy of non-intervention. One young Jedi wasn't satisfied, so he started calling for the Order to intervene in the growing conflict. Eventually, he began to openly defy the Council, and gathered followers to his cause who called him the "crusader." They stopped at Taris to recruit the Jedi there, but failed and departed for a nearby planet. The leader of the group had left his second-in-command along with some of his followers on the planet to investigate Mandalorian activity there. They were captured, and taken to a nearby research station orbiting the planet Flashpoint to become subjects in Mandalorian experiments on Jedi prisoners. Not long after there was an incident involving the murder of 4 padawans on Taris, which culminated in the withdrawal of the 5 Jedi masters stationed on the planet. The Mandalorians attacked a nearby system, and in the resulting battle were also able to conquer Taris. The Jedi Council ordered the crusader to rescue the Jedi imprisoned in the Mandalorian research station on Flashpoint. Now, I must mention that the "crusader" and his followers were revanchists, Jedi who actively pushed for the intervention of the Jedi in the war. The success of the crusader's rescue of captured Jedi from the Flashpoint station led to celebrity status in the republic, eventually leading him to simply be called the "Revanchist." The Revanchists investigated the disappearance of the Cathar people from their home planet, and discovered that the people had mostly been driven from their home planet by Mandalorian raiders ten years prior. The Council sent Jedi to the Cathar homeworld to confront the Revanchists after they'd refused to stand down. According to eyewitness accounts, the Council was warning the Revanchists of a vision that Master Vandar had experienced of great destruction to come after war across the galaxy. The Council's warning was interrupted when the Revanchist noticed a Mandalorian mask on the ground. He picked it up, and all Jedi present experienced a shared Force vision of Cassus Fett committing wholesale slaughter of the Cathar, despite the protests of the original owner of the mask. The Revanchist put on the mask, and adopted the name Revan. He vowed to wear it until the Mandalorians were brought to justice. The Council allowed the revanchists to intervene in the war, but still publicly denounced Revan's actions."

She paused, allowing everyone to take in what they had just heard. "Revan revived the Jedi Mercy Corps - Jedi who travelled with republic military personnel as 'healers.' Revan and his second in command, Malak, were appointed as generals. They were given their own fleet and troops, and had a string of victories against the Mandalorians in that sector. Meanwhile, the Mandalorians achieved widespread success throughout the rest of the galaxy, although these would later be reversed in a counterattack led by Revan and Malak. He liberated more and more worlds, but the war had changed him. He understood that sacrificing major cities and sometimes key worlds was sometimes necessary to achieve victory elsewhere, and became increasingly willing to make those sacrifices. He and Malak adopted a policy of victory at all costs."

Once again she paused, patiently waiting for acknowledgement to continue. "One year before the end of the war, Revan and Malak discovered ancient ruins on Dantooine. They had been built by the previously unknown Rakata species when they had conquered the galaxy almost 20,000 years before the foundation of the Old Republic. The pair discovered an ancient star map within, giving partial coordinates to an ancient Rakata space station known as the 'Star Forge,' as well as the location of star maps on other planets throughout the galaxy. Revan and Malak traveled across the galaxy to find the star maps, and at some point during their journey they briefly visited the Sith homeworld of Korriban. Revan and Malak were seduced by the dark side during their visit to Malachor V, after discovering the ancient Sith Trayus Academy, a site of Sith learning. When they returned to combat, they continued to lead the Republic forces against the Mandalorians. Finally, Revan and Malak laid a trap for the Mandalorians at Malachor V in the hopes of crushing their forces and ending the war. Mandalore the Ultimate, leader of the Mandalorian forces, challenged Revan to a duel during the battle. Revan accepted, and defeated the warlord. He took his dead opponent's mask as a spoil of war, and to prevent another Mandalorian leader from being chosen. The battle ended with the activation of the Republic's superweapon, which created a gravitational vortex that drew the majority of the Mandalorian fleet and a large number of Republic warships towards the planet's surface. The sheer number of casualties in the battle created a wound in the force."

"Now that I've covered the historical context, I can give you a brief summary of the events mentioned in the log. I apologize for my lack of brevity before, but I got excited since nobody usually asks me about this, and it's one of my favorite subjects." Master Windu forgave her, and allowed her to continue.

"After the Mandalorians surrendered unconditionally, the council ordered revan and Malak to return to Coruscant to be judged for their actions. They refused, and disappeared with the remainder of their fleet into the Unknown Regions under the guise of pursuing the remaining Mandalorians. Eyewitness accounts of the events that followed state that with his dying breath, Mandalore the Ultimate told Revan that he had been under a Sith curse, and gave the location of the planet Rekkiad as proof. While in the Unknown Regions, Revan and Malak traveled to the planet to confirm Mandalore's story. There, they discovered a tomb which contained a datacron containing the history and existence of a hidden Sith empire. They followed the trail to the Sith capital, and attempted to kill the emperor to prevent him from invading the Republic. Instead, the emperor turned them completely to the darkside, anointing them Dark Lords of the Sith. He tasked them with locating the Star Forge; they broke free of the emperor's control not long after leaving the capital, but instead adopted his commands as their own desires. They located the Star Forge and used it to create an immense invasion fleet, and combined with their remaining ships from the war, formed a new Sith Empire. The following year, Revan and Malak, having been presumed dead, emerged from the Unknown Regions with an invasion fleet. The two Sith conquered worlds throughout the Galaxy, nearly pushing the Republic to collapse. The Jedi devised a desperate plan to save the Republic, in which they successfully captured Revan and returned him to the light side, albeit with the side-effect of temporary memory loss. Malak claimed leadership of the Sith in his former master's absence. Revan retraced his steps to the Star forge. After escaping Taris during a Sith orbital bombardment and receiving training as a Jedi on Dantooine at the Enclave, he found star maps on Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and in the Valley of Kings on Korriban. This all culminated in a final battle on Rakata Prime, the homeworld of the Rakata, resulting in the destruction of the Star Forge. The Sith were vanquished, and the republic was safe. As for what became of Revan, he was last seen flying away from the remnants of the Star Forge deeper into the Unknown Regions."(1)

"Thank you, Master Nu. Kenobi, you and your team are being sent to retrace Revan's steps and determine his fate. We believe it may be important to learning the source of the Separatists' newfound strength, and help bring an end to this war once and for all," Master Windu said.

Obi-wan bowed. "I understand, Masters. I will return once I've completed my mission."

"May the Force be with you."

# # #

 _My source for all of this information is the Star Wars Wiki, Wookieepedia. A lot of the information in Jocasta Nu's history is paraphrased or taken directly from Wookieepedia. Consider this an informal citation._

 _As always, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your thoughts and comments below, I look forward to your feedback._

 _Sorry this took so long, last week was really busy and I wasn't home a lot._

 _Also, I have some news for everyone: I'm starting college on August 21st, so once I (hopefully) publish the next 2 chapters in the coming couple of weeks, it'll take longer to publish chapters. The story isn't dead, just on hold. If you have questions or just want to talk, send me a private message here on Fanfiction and we can talk._

 _Until then, May the Force be with you, always!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I explained everything at the end of the chapter. Writing this forced me to think outside of the box (or in some cases throw away the box entirely), so I hope you enjoy!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Co-Author:Brandon66**

It was a cool summer evening on Mandalore. The sun was disappearing below the horizon, and there was a gentle breeze, causing the leaves to shake. The view from the balcony of the Duchess' quarters was amazing, allowing one to see for miles into the distance.

Duchess Satine sat alone, looking out as she became lost in thought. She was startled when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, but turned around to see her beloved Obi-Wan. He had brought a couple's chair, the same as the one she saw in a store window the day before.

"I thought this would be more comfortable," he whispered, placing it beside her. He sat down, and without looking she knew he wanted her beside him. She stood up, the evening light accentuating her slender form, and gracefully sat next to him. She moved her legs to the side, propping herself up against Obi-Wan's muscular chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she nuzzled her head beside his neck. They stayed like that, each comforted by the other's presence, as they watched the sun finally slip beneath the horizon.

Obi-Wan looked down, and saw that Satine had fallen asleep. It was warm enough, he reasoned, that they didn't need a blanket. He pulled her closer, and drifted off to sleep.

# # #

It had been a year since Obi-Wan had first taken Satine on a date. Since then, he had enjoyed the happiest year of his life in her company. So, Satine wasn't surprised when Obi-Wan invited her to join him on a little excursion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, sounding confused.

"It's a surprise - I don't want to spoil it for you before we arrive."

She pondered his words for a moment. Obi-Wan waited patiently, his advanced Jedi training allowing him to conceal the nervousness he felt inside. " _What if she says no?_ " he thought to himself.

"I… I think I can leave my duties as Duchess to one of my advisors today, as long as we're not gone too long."

"Of course, Duchess," he said. She smiled. He knew she loved it when he called her that.

"M'lady, if you'll follow me, your carriage awaits," Obi-Wan said, bowing and directing her down the hall. She giggled, striding down the hall with all the authority bestowed upon the Duchess of Mandalore.

He guided her to his ship, a small, sleek craft he had borrowed from Chancellor Amidala. The ship was covered in shiny, metallic plating, giving it a sense of elegance. The landing ramp descended, and he swiftly guided her inside. She took a seat next to him in the cockpit, as he expertly engaged the take-off sequence and programmed the hyperspace coordinates.

"When did you get to be so handy in the cockpit?" she asked, giving him a mischievous grin.

"Since I asked Anakin to teach me," he replied.

"Mm-hmm. As long as he didn't also teach you his skill for crashing perfectly good ships,"

He smiled. "Only the best for you, Satine."

The ship had entered the upper atmosphere, and Obi-Wan finished entering the hyperspace calculations. He put his hand firmly on the switch, pushing it upward as the ship leaped into hyperspace.

# # #

Satine had fallen asleep, and only woke up after what seemed for her to be several hours.

"H-how long was I out?" she asked, placing a hand on the side of her head.

"A couple hours," he replied, his eyes still focused on the instruments before him. "We should be arriving… now!" he exclaimed, as the ship lurched out of hyperspace. Satine rubbed her eyes, and saw what could only be described as breathtaking. He had brought her to the edge of a large nebula. It was a collage of colors, and she found it hard to look away from the slowly swirling clouds as they gradually shifted colors.

"Obi… it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

"I thought you'd like it," he said. He looked at her again, making sure she was distracted while he pulled a small box from his back pocket. He swiveled his chair to face her, and stared directly into her eyes.

"Satine," he began, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"

She turned to face him. He leaned forward, gently placing his knee on the floor as he kneeled before her.

He brought his arms around from behind his back, and presented the small box to her in his outstretched hand. He opened it, revealing an ornately crafted silver ring. It had a small jewel on top, with intricate patterns weaving around the rest of the ring.

"Satine, will you marry me?"

"YES!" she screamed, throwing her arms around him. He took her in his arms, lifting her off the ground. Their lips met, and everything else melted away - his world had become her tender lips. She put a hand on his cheek, gently pulling away, as if to say something.

He watched her intently, ready to accept whatever she would say next.

"General," she said, although it wasn't her voice, but that of a clone. "General, you have to wake up," she repeated, the ship around him slowly fading away. He watched in horror as her thin figure extended, and her beautiful blue dress turned white, the skirt replaced by legs. Her arms became more muscular, and her face distorted; her skin became more tan, her hair turned jet black, and her eyes became brown. "General, you have to wake up. We're close to our first stop."

He jolted awake, blinking hard as he saw the familiar face of Commander Cody in front of him.

"Sorry to startle you sir, but we need you to fill us in on the details of the mission."

"Right," Obi-Wan said, yawning as he hopped out of bed. "I'll join you in a moment, Cody."

"Of course, sir." The clone commander saluted, and left.

Obi-Wan was alone in the room. He had to remind himself that it was just a dream.

Satine was gone.

# # #

"Attention passengers, we are approaching our final destination. Please fasten your seatbelts." The ship rumbled as it descended to the planet surface below. Hotshot kept constant watch on the instruments before him, making sure that this was a _smooth_ landing.

Obi-Wan gripped the safety harness, his knuckles turning white. He _hated_ landing.

 _Well, at least Anakin isn't flying,_ he thought to himself.

He tried to direct his focus elsewhere, to keep himself from vomiting all over the clone across from him. There was a loud _thud_ , and the ship became still.

"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. At this time, we ask you to please exit the ship from the rear ramp in an orderly fashion. Thank you for flying Air Hotshot, and welcome to Tatooine."

Obi-Wan stepped down the landing ramp, his arm covering his eyes to shield them from the brightness. He opened his eyes, and saw large, tan walls surrounding them, with very little else around. There was a large door in front of them, supposedly to fit speeders carrying heavy loads.

"Cody, what do you know about this place?" he asked.

"Well sir, from what I've read and heard from other troopers, this is Anchorhead, a mid-sized mining settlement. It's controlled by the Hutts, and there's a lot of smugglers here. That's all I know, I'm afraid."

"It's alright, Cody. Let's have a look around and see if we can't find some information."

There was a small panel near the door, containing a large red button. Waxed bashed it with his fist, causing the door to creak as it slowly ascended into the wall.

There was a long street ahead of them, leading into what appeared to be a town square. The street was lined with shops and street vendors, and the steam and smoke coming from food sellers made it difficult to see. They carefully waded through the crowd, gently pushing past people as they made their way to the town square.

Once they had arrived, they saw more streets leading off in various directions, as well as a large circular building before them.

Obi-Wan looked around until he saw a sign that read "Hunting Lodge."

"That looks like a good place to start," he told Cody. He led his trusted commander inside, unsure of what to expect.

They found the interior to be smaller than expected, consisting of a semi-circular bar, with tables hugging the walls.

A large Ithorian approached him. "Welcome to the Anchorhead Hunting Lodge! How can I assist you fine gentlemen today?"

"We seek information. Do you have a map of the area?" he asked politely.

"I do indeed! Only 2 credits."

Obi-Wan, seeing that it was a reasonable price, dropped the credits into the Ithorian's outstretched palm.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you," he said, handing Obi-Wan a small datapad. "Can I help you with anything else?"

Cody exchanged a look with Obi-Wan. "No thank you, we're fine. I hope you have a nice day."

The Ithorian waved, watching as the two men left.

# # #

"What now, sir?" Cody asked.

"I'm looking at this map, but I don't see anything that might help us. Then again, I don't know the first thing about the geography of this planet."

Cody scratched his head, looking over Obi-Wan's shoulder at the map. "Sir, wasn't general Skywalker born on Tatooine?" Cody asked.

"Yes, but I'd rather not disturb him right now," he replied.

"Sir, I don't think he'd mind, considering what's at stake."

Obi-Wan thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right. I'll call him now."

# # #

Anakin was snuggling with his wife on the balcony of their bedroom, watching as the sun began its slow descent in the sky. She had her head resting on his chest, while his outstretched arm gently caressed her thigh.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"What was that?" Shaak Ti asked, looking confused.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Anakin pulled his comm from his back pocket, activating it. Obi-Wan appeared.

"Anakin," Obi-wan began, his other hand firmly grasped around the edge of his hood. "I'm sorry to bother you, but something's come up, and we need your help."

"Of course," he said.

"We're in Anchorhead right now, and we need to find the east Dune Sea. We have a map, but I'm completely unfamiliar with this planet. I need to find a speeder capable of carrying up to ten people, and get to my destination. Could you lend us a hand?"

"Anchorhead?" Anakin said, racking his brain. "Where are you right now?"

"We're in what appears to be a town square," he said.

"Can you see the main landing port?" Anakin asked.

"If you're referring to the large circular building, then yes."

"Yep, that's the one. Alright, you need to head towards the south gates. There should still be a merchant there that sells speeders. He might have what you need."

"Thank you, Anakin. Where do we go from there?"

"Once you leave the city, you'll want to head south until you find a massive ship wreck. Then, head east and keep going until you see a large hovering billboard. Trust me, you can't miss it. It's a part of the Anchorhead pod racing track."

"Thank you Anakin. I hope I didn't take up too much of your time."

"Not at all," he replied. "I was actually just sitting here with Shaak Ti."

"Hi Obi!" she said in the background.

"Hello, Shaak Ti."

"Well Anakin, I still have work to do, so I'll talk to you later."

"Be careful out there Obi-Wan. Avoid the mountains - the Sand People will try to ambush you."

"Understood. Kenobi out."

# # #

Obi-Wan had bought two speeder cars, large enough to seat five people in each. The duo zoomed through the dunes, meticulously following Anakin's directions. Obi-wan had also bought some rudimentary facial coverings, to keep out the dust. Under his hood, he was wearing what appeared to be old pilot's goggles, and the rest of his face was covered in a thin yet sturdy fabric. It allowed him to breathe and speak clearly, while still protecting him.

After a few hours of staring at the endless desert and jagged rocks, they found the wreck Anakin had described. It was fairly large, appearing to be only slightly smaller than one of their own _Venerator_ class cruisers. It protruded from the sand, its engines pointed towards the twin suns above.

Not too far away was the billboard, with the words "Jabba's pleasure palace!" enblazened in bold red lettering. Left of the sign was a large gap in the rocks, leading off into the Eastern Dune Sea. Trapper was examining the map.

"Well, if I'm reading this right, we are here," he said, pointing to a spot on the map. "What exactly is it we're looking for, sir?" he asked.

"We have come to find an ancient device called a "star map," similar to the one found on Dantooine by a pair of Jedi almost two thousand years ago."

All eyes turned towards him. "Two thousand, sir?" Cody asked.

"Yes, Cody. According to the records in the Jedi archives, the artifacts were constructed almost twenty thousand years before the foundation of the Old Republic."

"Wow," was all Trapper could say to describe his amazement.

"Those two Jedi had turned to the dark side, and used the star maps to find an ancient space station known as the 'Star Forge.' They used it to create massive fleets of warships, and threatened the very existence of the Republic during the wars between the Sith and Old Republic. Now, the Council has tasked us with retracing their steps, and determining the fate of the more powerful of the two, a Jedi known as 'Revan.'"

This time, no one spoke. The full weight of the mission was now made clear, and they realized its true importance.

"We need to keep moving. Cody, you take point."

He nodded, hopping in the speeder car as Obi-Wan followed close behind.

# # #

They took refuge for the night in a small cave, etched into the rock face. Obi-Wan looked exhausted.

"Sir, why don't you get some rest? We'll take watch," Cody told the general.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," he replied, covering his mouth to hide a yawn. He laid down against the rocks, using his pack as a pillow. It only took a few moments for him to be sound asleep.

# # #

Obi-Wan was clad in a dashing black tuxedo, complete with a colorful red boutonniere. Before him were two or three rows of people wearing similarly nice outfits, sitting on either side of a long aisle stretching the length of the room. On his left was Anakin, as well as Masters Plo Koon and Mundi. In the first row sat Master Windu, Yoda, and the other members of the council; on the right of the aisle were some of Satine's closest friends and family. Two of the duchess' guards stood at attention on either side of great double doors at the end of the aisle, their faces hidden behind masks. The evening sun shone through the two large windows flanking either side of the room, bathing it in golden light.

The pair of guards thrust their pikes against the floor, and a hush fell over the guests. The doors swung open, followed by Satine. She wore a lucious white wedding gown, adorned with intricate patterns flowing down from her neck. A thin white veil concealed her face. She walked down the aisle, a duo of younger girls following behind to hold up the dress. Everyone stood as she walked past, awestruck by her beauty.

She stood beside Obi-Wan, and they turned to face each other. The celebrant casually opened a little book, holding it as he began:

" _Family and friends, welcome and thank you all for being here on this very special day._

 _We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Duchess Satine of Mandalore, and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, in marriage._

 _All of us need and desire to love and be loved._

 _Satine and Obi-Wan, your marriage today will mark the public and legal joining of your souls, that have already been united as one in your hearts._

 _Marriage will allow you a new environment to share your lives together, standing together to face life and the world, hand in hand._

 _Marriage will expand you as individuals, define you as a couple, and deepen your love for one another._

 _If you are to succeed, you will need strength, courage, patience, and most of all, a good sense of humor._

 _Your destinies will become forever intertwined, and you will become one in the force. For the rest of time, you will feel the warmth of each other's presence._

 _May the force be with you._ "

He turned to the groom: "Do you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, take this woman, Duchess Satine of Mandalore, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her in sickness and health, in good times and bad, and keep yourself to her for as long as you may live?"

"I do."

Turning to face the bride, he began: "And do you, Duchess Satine of Mandalore, take this man, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish him in sickness and health, in good times and bad, and to keep yourself to him for as long as you may live?

"I do."

He shifted to face the wedding guests: "The bride and groom will now exchange their own personal vows."

Obi-Wan took Satine's hands, and stared into her bright blue eyes. "Satine, you are the kindest, most sincere, loveliest woman I have ever known, and I am lucky to hold your hand, be in your arms, and in your heart. If you will have me, I will make my arms your shelter, and my heart our home. I will dedicate my life to you, keep you safe, and stand by you, be a rock to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, and a pillow to rest your head. I give you all that I have - the stars and the moon and all my wishes, and as your husband, all I long for in return is the touch of your hands on mine as we sit and watch the sun gently set on the horizon, and whisper to each other, this is going to be the best day of our lives. Each and every night."

Satine could feel herself about to tear up as she heard his words. She couldn't sense his emotions like he could hers, but she could _feel_ how deeply he cared for her, and the sincerity in his words. She had to wipe a tear from her eye before she presented her vows: "My dearest Obi-Wan, it is clear to me now that everything in my life has led me to you - I think back on all my choices and consider even the bad ones blessed, because if I had done even one thing differently, I might never have met you and become your wife. You are my love and my guide, a true partner, a man that I will love, hold close, honor, kiss, and cry with for all the days of my life. I love you utterly, completely and madly - I love the way that you look at me - I love to gaze into your eyes. It is only natural that I should always be with you as your wife."

The celebrant looked to the guests. "Now, by the power vested in me by the government of Mandalore and the Jedi Council, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Satine leapt into her husband's arms, pressing herself against him as they shared a passionate kiss. Obi-Wan felt a spark as their lips met, everything around him melting away as his world shrunk to his wife's kiss. He focused intently on it, wanting the moment to continue forever. When she finally pulled back, Obi-Wan got a strange feeling in his gut. The room had gotten darker, and the bright blues and yellows in the room had been replaced by purple and black. Satine's face swirled like a whirlpool, and her voice changed.

"Wake up, Obi-Wan!" It shouted, its voice sounding deep, like several voices layered together. He looked to the wedding guests, and to his horror saw that they had transformed into twisted, angular creatures. Their arms ended with sharp spikes, and their faces swirled just as Satine's had. Hanging from the ceiling were nooses, and attached to each one was Satine, hanging lifeless as the rope slowly twirled. Their dresses were soaked in blood, and there were dried tears streaking down from their eyes. Two of the royal guards approached Obi-Wan, their armor having become dark hooded robes, and their pikes transformed into long scythes. They stood before Obi-Wan, ready to strike. Satine grabbed his cheeks, turning him to face her. Her face had returned, and she stared intently into his eyes as tears streamed down her face. "Why did you do this to me, Obi? I loved you!"

"I didn't do anything to harm you, Satine! You know that!"

"Why didn't you save me, Obi? I feel… cold." Her body was quickly encapsulated in ice, leaving her look of horror frozen before Obi-Wan. He reached out to touch her, but as soon as he made contact the ice shattered, sending shards in all directions. The royal guards turned him to face them.

"Wake up, Obi-Wan!" They whispered, the air around him suddenly becoming cold.

"Sir, it's time to wake up," the voice said, although this time it was the familiar voice of a clone trooper.

Cody.

"Wake up, sir. We still have a mission to accomplish."

The world melted away before Obi-Wan's eyes, leaving him in pitch black…

 _As always, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your thoughts and comments below, I look forward to your feedback._

 _Sorry this took so long, college has been crazy and it's taken me almost three weeks to get settled. Fear not, I'm back and ready to write! I won't be able to publish as often, but my goal is to (hopefully) finish a chapter every two weeks, or at least one a month. Thank you all for your continued support, this wouldn't be possible without you!_

 _Until then, May the Force be with you, always!_


	16. Chapter 16

**In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Co-Author:Brandon66**

As the twin suns peeked over the horizon, two speeders zoomed through the sand. Obi-Wan sat next to the driver, trying to focus on the sounds of the wind hitting the dunes and the smooth hum of the engines. He was still trying to process what he had seen in his dreams, and what it might mean.

The East Dune Sea stretched out for miles in all directions, seemingly without end.

"Sir?" he heard in his earpiece.

"Yes Cody?"

"What are we looking for exactly?"

"Since the star maps are powerful artifacts of the dark side, I should be able to sense them."

"Understood sir."

They continued through the desert, as Obi-Wan tried to reach out with the force and sense the star map. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and explored the area around them with his mind. He saw crashed ships, dunes, and skeletons, but no star map. After two hours of searching he had almost given up hope, until the force showed him a brief glimpse of a cave. Even after such a short view, he could feel the strong pull of the dark side emanating from it, tempting him to come closer.

"Cody!" he said.

"Sir?"

"We need to go west. I know where to find the star map."

The speeder made a hard turn, sending Obi-Wan crashing against the door. They picked up speed, the pull of the dark side becoming stronger as they neared its source…

# # #

They stopped in front of a large cave. It protruded from the nearby dunes, the only speck of color in a sea of tan. The entrance was massive, being at least 300 feet tall. The sunlight didn't reach past the cave mouth, leaving the interior shrouded in darkness.

Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber, the faint glow illuminating the area in front of him.

"I'll take point," he whispered. The clones dutifully obeyed, following close behind him as they ventured into the depths of the cave…

# # #

The sun peeked over the horizon, a mixture of yellow and orange as the dark ocean of night began to evaporate. The animals woke from their slumber, and the plants prepared themselves to receive the sun's life-giving warmth.

" _Another day in paradise_ ," Shaak Ti thought to herself. She looked at the calendar, and saw that Anakin had drawn a big red circle and written "Ahsoka leaves for three day camping trip." He would almost certainly have ideas on how to spend their precious alone time.

She opened the curtains further, and gazed at the planet's natural beauty for a while, watching the sun's slow ascent on the horizon. The sun illuminated the room with a gentle amber glow, waking Anakin. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking as he adjusted to the light. He saw his wife leaning against the balcony, the morning light accentuating her beautiful red skin. He was transfixed, unable to move, his eyes glued to her.

She turned around, and his jaw nearly fell off. He was in awe of her. He admired every aspect of her: her amethyst eyes, skin more radiant than the twin suns of Tatooine, her cute little nose, luscious lips, long, flowing lekku gracefully flowing down her body, and exquisite figure, were only part of her perfection. She walked over to him, her thin semi-transparent night gown teasing his mind.

She knew he was impressed, and decided to kick it up a notch. She slowly strutted over to him, climbing on the bed and straddling him. She sat upright, her legs on either side of his, arching her back.

"Master Skywalker," she said, "you still have much to learn…"

# # #

The sun became like a distant memory as they ventured deeper into the cave. Obi Wan could sense the pull of the dark side growing stronger as they went forth, tempting him to let his guard down. It was eerily silent, and their footsteps echoed along the walls.

Obi-Wan felt a surge in his mind, collapsing to his knees.

"Sir?" Cody asked, kneeling beside his general.

Obi-Wan's vision was getting blurry, and he couldn't make out what Cody was saying. Suddenly, everything went black.

 _He opened his eyes. He was standing at the mouth of the cave, although something didn't feel right. He wasn't in control of his body. He heard a voice, but it wasn't his own. It didn't make sense. Could this be a dream? A vision? A force echo left by somebody else?_

 _He didn't have time to investigate. Before his eyes, a massive Krayt dragon lumbered out from the mouth of the cave. It was almost as tall as the cave itself._

 _Not too far away were a small group of Bantha, standing idly by. As the massive beast slowly walked towards its prey, it was engulfed in a series of explosions. It howled in pain, wobbling briefly before it crashed to the ground with a loud thud._

 _Obi-Wan saw his "host" (for lack of a better word) proceed into the cave, continuing until they reached a strange artifact. Using the force they activated the device, watching as the three long beams descended to form a triangle, projecting a map of the galaxy._

The dream ended, and Obi-Wan awoke to the concerned face of Commander Cody.

"Sir?" he asked, waving his hand in front of Obi-Wan's face.

"I'm Alright, Cody," Obi-Wan said. "What happened?"

"Sir, you just… _collapsed_."

"Did I really?" he asked. "Not to worry, I'll try not to nap on the job from now on."

"I must say though, I had a very… _interesting_ dream. This place was once the home of a huge Krayt dragon."

"Krayt dragon?" one of the troopers asked, sounding perplexed.

"Yes, a huge creature almost as tall as this cavern. Not to worry though, I can assure you that it is most certainly dead."

"Now, I suggest we keep moving. I'd hate to be caught in the dune sea at night."

# # #

"Sir, what is that?" one of the troopers asked, pointing with his flashlights to a strange object near the cave wall. Using his lightsaber to illuminate the area, Obi-Wan slowly approached. He inspected it closely, racking his brain to figure out what it might be. He took a step back, and said "I believe this is some sort of… egg. Possibly from our Krayt dragon."

He concluded that it posed no threat, and signaled for his troops to move on. They only had to walk a short distance before they found their prize: the starmap, just as Obi-Wan had seen in his vision. He waved his hand, and the object flared to life, its three prongs descending to display an (incomplete) map of the galaxy. Some parts were missing, but he could clearly see what appeared to be Kashyyyk, Korriban, and Manaan.

"Gentlemen," Obi-Wan began, "I know this has been difficult, and unfortunately we still have to find three more star maps."

As they retraced their steps out of the cave, one of the troopers yelled in alarm.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked, his lightsaber drawn. Looming before the frightened soldier was an enormous skull, with an eye socket taller than a trooper. Obi-Wan chuckled.

"No need to fear," he assured the terrified trooper, "it's just the remains of the cave's former tenant. Like I said, I'm _quite sure_ it won't be bothering us any time soon."

Reaching the mouth of the cave once more, they were treated to the harsh rays of Tatooine's twin suns. Cody looked over at the general, as if to ask where they would be going next.

"I'm not sure Cody," he replied out loud. "But on the bright side, at least we'll only have to worry about _one_ sun next time."

# # #

After a morning filled with raw passion and wild love-making, Shaak Ti was tired. She sat outside on the porch, her head resting on Anakin's chest, his strong arm wrapped around her shoulders. She could feel his chest slowly rise and fall, creating a gentle rhythm. His hand slowly rubbed her stomach, and he felt ticklish every time her montrals would rub against his chin.

It was midday, and the sun was high in the sky. The sky was a bright blue, with not a cloud in sight. Anakin smiled, realizing that he still had another two and a half days alone with his wife. His mind began to wander, as he thought of all the naughty things he wanted to do with her. She could sense this, a devilish grin forming on her lips as she thought with anticipation for the things he was imagining…

# # #

Shaak Ti was in the kitchen making sandwiches, while Anakin tended to the flowers in front of the house. She looked down at her creation: two sandwiches, each piled high with meat and vegetables. The meat was from a local butcher in town, and the vegetables from a nearby farm. It smelled heavenly.

Anakin wiped the sweat from his brow, grabbing a trowel to help him pry a particularly stubborn weed from the soil. After a few attempts, he finally managed to wrest it from the ground. As he yanked it away, he was amazed at the length and complexity of its roots, which seemed to stretch halfway across the flowerbed. He examined it for a moment, then tossed it in the garbage bag along with the others he had pulled. He scanned the soil for any more unwelcome guests, but saw none. Satisfied with his work, he stood up and slung the heavy bag over his shoulder, depositing it in the waste bin at the edge of their property. After he had brushed himself off, he walked into the kitchen through the garage.

"Garden's clear, Master Ti," he announced. Instead of thanking him, he was greeted with "don't track mud in the house! You're going to have to clean that up!"

He looked down, only now noticing the trail of brown boot prints on the floor. "Honey, my bad. I'll go change and clean this up." She nodded, her focus returning to making a pitcher of lemonade.

He returned only moments later, getting on his hands and knees to wipe down the mess he had created. Shaak Ti took the time to sneak a few quick glances at her husband, watching as he scrubbed the floor with his strong, toned arms. She was almost sad when he stopped.

"What smells so good?" he asked, returning to the kitchen.

"I made us lunch," she replied, placing two plates on the table. He sat down across from her, eyeing his sandwich hungrily. She looked at him, then down at her plate. "Something wrong, dear?" he asked.

"Ani… I've kinda been craving red meat all day. Would you mind if I swapped some of yours for some of these fresh vegetables?" He nodded, passing his plate as she made the adjustments. She slid it back across the table, wasting no time in taking a large bite. Anakin hadn't eaten half of his sandwich by the time she had consumed hers.

"Someone was hungry I'm assuming?" he asked, looking at her empty plate.

"Just a little bit," she said, waiting patiently as he casually finished the rest of his food. He wiped his mouth, and grabbed both plates to be washed, stopping to give his wife a kiss on the cheek as he passed. She laid down on the couch, her feet hanging off the edge, one of her lekku dangling to the side. She looked over, her eyes inviting him to join her. He took the hint, taking a seat and lifting his arm as she nestled her head against his chest.

"Love?" she asked, looking up at him.

"What's up?"

"I… I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me these past few months. I know it hasn't been easy, but I really appreciate that you haven't complained."

"How could I complain?" he asked. "I get to spend my life with the greatest, most beautiful woman in the galaxy. If anything, I should be thanking you for having me."

She smiled. He always knew the right thing to say.

He shifted her up on his body, leaning his head down to kiss her…

# # #

Obi-Wan relaxed, stretching out his arms as he tried to fall asleep. He was on the _Resolute_ , which had been temporarily assigned to him as mission HQ for he and his team. They had reported their findings to the Jedi High Council, which had granted them two days rest before their next mission. Obi-Wan was determined to use the whole two days to rest and recharge.

"Sir, Jedi High Council wants to speak with you in the war room."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Of course. Lead the way."

He walked towards the massive console which acted as both holo-communicator and strategic map, pressing a button to activate the holo-comm.

"Master Kenobi, good to see you it is."

"And you as well, Masters."

"General Kenobi," Master Windu began, "We wanted to let you know that Master Unduli is scheduled to rendezvous at your cruiser and return with you to coruscant to be debriefed."

"Understood, Masters."

"May the Force be with you." The holo-comm shut off, and Obi-Wan went to the hangar to greet his new guests.

# # #

The shuttle doors opened with a hiss as Master Luminara Unduli and her padawan walked over to greet Obi-Wan.

"Master Kenobi, so good to see you."

"And you, Master Luminara."

Luminara could be a woman of few words, and to Obi-Wan it appeared to be one of those times. He showed her and Barriss to their rooms, and went to his own to get some much needed sleep.

Using a technique he had learned from Master Fisto, he called upon the force to aid him in falling asleep. He let go, allowing himself to become one with the living force until he awoke. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind began to wander…

# # #

Obi-Wan was lying in bed, sleeping peacefully as the first light peeked over the horizon. He opened his eyes, watching from the large window as the sun began its slow ascent from below the horizon. He quietly stood up, putting on his slippers as he tiptoed onto the balcony. He leaned against the railing, watching in awe as the sun's light illuminated the stark whiteness of Mandalore's landscape.

Satine stirred, realizing her husband was no longer beside her. She opened her eyes, and saw him on the balcony. Carefully hoisting herself out of bed, she went to join him, her arms wrapped around him from behind. He placed his arm across her shoulders, his focus still on the dance nature performed every morning. She touched his cheek, and he turned to face her. Leaning in, she bestowed a kiss on his lips.

"M'lady," he said softly. She giggled.

"Mmm… Obi…" she purred, her head resting on his shoulder. "I think I can feel the baby kicking," she said, guiding his hand to her belly. "I can feel it," he said. "I think somebody's almost ready to greet me face-to-face." She smiled, pulling herself closer to him. She didn't want him to let go, even for a moment.

# # #

Obi-Wan's vision blurred, and in a matter of seconds his reality had shifted to what appeared to be a hospital room. Satine was on the bed, her legs spread wide apart as a nurse stood close to her.

"Duchess, push!" she exclaimed, followed soon after by grunts of pain from her patient. She squeezed Obi-Wan's hand so tight he thought it would break.

"Push Duchess, push!" the nurse exclaimed again. Satine grimaced as she yelled.

"I can see a head! Keep pushing, you're almost done!"

Satine took a deep breath, screaming as she pushed with every ounce of energy she had left.

"Congratulations! It's a girl!"

The nurse held the newborn, handing Obi-Wan a pair of scissors. "Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" He nodded, snipping carefully as he detached the baby from her mother.

She handed Obi-Wan the child, and he walked over to stand by his wife. "My love, we have a daughter."

Satine cried, holding the baby in her arms. "We'll name her Amelia."

Obi-Wan looked at her, his heart full of joy. Satine turned to look at him. She wasn't smiling anymore, and instead he saw a great sadness in her eyes as she wept. "How could you do this to me?" she asked, looking down as the center of her shirt became soaked with blood. "How could you have let me _die_?" Obi-Wan stepped back, his heart racing. Looking up, he saw the nurse across the bed from him. "You killed her, _Jedi_."

"NO, NO NO NO! I didn't kill her!"

"Of course you did," the nurse said, her voice changing to a man's. "I may have delivered the final blow, but you were ultimately responsible for her death!"

"NO!" Obi-Wan screamed.

Amelia turned her head to face Obi-Wan. "You robbed me of life!" she screamed. "Because of you, I'll never exist!"

"You're a monster, Obi-Wan! You killed me, and I can never forgive you! You only pretended to love me, didn't you?" Satine bellowed.

"NO! I loved you Satine! I have always loved you, and I will always love you! I didn't kill you, Pre Vizla did!"

"WAKE UP!" Satine shrieked.

The nurse and baby Amelia joined in chorus. "WAKE UP! OBI-WAN, YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!" A voice told him, coming from all three as they chanted.

His reality faded to black, his eyes flashing open as he jolted upright. Luminara stood next to the bed, his hands placed firmly on Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Master Kenobi! Are you alright?" he asked, sounding concerned.

Obi-Wan could feel the sweat on his forehead. "I'm… quite alright, Luminara."

"Obi-Wan, maybe you should go get checked out at the Jedi Temple? I heard you screaming and came in to make sure you were alright."

"Luminara, I'm fine. But, if it will make you feel better, I'll go get checked out at the Temple as soon as we get back."

"Good to hear. The Jedi Council called while you were asleep, and requested you be debriefed in person."

"Understood. How long until we arrive?" he asked.

"We'll be arriving at Coruscant in three hours."

# # #

Anakin was sitting with his wife on the balcony, watching as the sun began to descend in the sky. She was curled up against him, comfortably lounging under his arm.

He turned to face her. "Shaak Ti, I… I wanted to share something with you." 

"Of course, Ani. You know you can share anything with me."

"I… please don't laugh."

"My love, I would never laugh at you."

"Well… I heard a poem once, from an ancient poet named Catullus. He was madly in love with a woman, and wrote poems about her, and there's one in particular that stuck out to me. Would you like to hear it?" She nodded eagerly.

He sat against one end of the couch, watching as she curled up to lean against the middle of the couch, her gaze fixed intently on him.

"He wrote it for the woman he loved, and so I'll reappropriate it for you."

He cleared his throat. "Let us live, my Shaak Ti, and let us love… Suns may rise and set again; and for us, once our brief light has set, an eternal night must be slept. Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred, then another thousand, then a second hundred, then yet another thousand, then a hundred; then, when we have made many thousands, we will mix them up, so we may not know, and so that no evil person can envy us, when they know how many kisses there have been."

Shaak Ti held back a tear. "Ani, that was beautiful," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

# # #

"Master Kenobi, much to tell, have you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, masters. We found the star map, and it showed the coordinates of the other four, just as it said in the log we recovered."

"Had a vision, did you?" Yoda inquired. "Heard something about this from a clone, I did."

"Yes Masters, I had a vision. I can't quite describe it, but it was as if I was watching through somebody else's eyes as they killed a Krayt dragon and found the star map. I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than that."

"Hmmm. Helpful, this information could be. Hold on to it, we will. For now, given a week to rest while we plan the next mission, you are."

"Thank you, Masters," he said, bowing. They bowed, and Obi-Wan exited the Council Chambers.

# # #

Later that day, Yoda approached Obi-Wan as he was walking to his room. "Master Kenobi," he began, "a question for you, I have. Come to my room, may you?"

"Of course, Master Yoda."

The door slid open, and Yoda motioned for Obi-Wan to sit on one of the cushions. The aged master climbed onto a similar one, crossing his legs.

"Concerned for you, I am. Concerned for you as well, Commander Cody is."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Yoda stopped him. "Been dreaming, have you?"

"Yes, Master."

"Dreaming of what?"

"Nothing, Master."

"Commander Cody would not have told me, if were nothing. Heard you screaming, he said."

"Master… I've been having _nightmares_."

"Troubled, are you?"

"Yes, Master. I've had dreams about someone whom I care deeply for. Someone who died."

"Ah. Dreaming of what could have been, hmm?"

"Yes, Master. They have all been dreams of how my life could have turned out."

"Of who do you dream?"

"Duchess Satine, of Mandalore," he replied, sounding pained as he uttered that name.

"Ahhh. In love with her, were you not?"

"Yes Master, but… how did you know?"

"Saw the way you looked at her, I have. Remember you asking to be assigned as her protector, I do."

Obi-Wan blushed. "Of course, Master. How could have I forgot?"

Yoda chuckled. "Important right now, that is not. Your dreams, describe them."

"Well… they always start with a happy moment, and follow a reality in which Satine and I live a happy life together."

"Gives you nightmares, happiness does?"

"No, Master," Obi-Wan said, chuckling. "The dreams are happy until the end, when Satine starts screaming and blaming me for her death. That's when they devolve into nightmares."

"I see. Know how she felt about you, do you?"

"I do, Master…" he gulped, "although I've never really talked to anyone about this besides Anakin."

"Go on."

"Just Before she died, just before she was… _murdered_ ," Obi-Wan had to hold back a tear, "by Death Watch, she told Anakin that she… that she loved me, and would always love me." Obi-wan wiped tears out of his eyes with his sleeve.

"I see. Feel guilt, do you?"

"Yes, Master. I feel guilty that I didn't tell her how I felt sooner, and that I didn't try to do more to save her."

"Powerful, loss can be. Causes grief, it does. Dwell upon it, we must not. Find strength in the force, we can. Teach you, I will."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

"As one, all Jedi are. Strong, only together are we. Help each other, we must. Care for each other, we do."

"A suggestion, might I make?" Yoda asked.

"Of course, Master."

"Take Master Luminara with you. An experienced healer, she is. Help you, she can.

"I agree, Master. I'll speak with her first thing in the morning."

Yoda allowed him to stay and meditate, allowing the aged Jedi Master to send calming thoughts through the force.

# # #

 _As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below, I always look forward to your feedback!_

 _I apologize again this took so long, it's been a big adjustment and I'm learning as I go. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to write as often as I'd like, but I'll still shoot for one chapter a month once I go back to school on January 13th. Until then, I'm hoping to write as many chapters as I did this time last year!_

 _Thank you all for your continued support, this wouldn't be possible without you! 2019 is just beginning, but I already know it will be a great year for readers of "In Love With A Master!"_

 _May the Force be with you, and Happy New Year!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long! As I've said in my previous author's notes, it's been busy as hell with school and life getting in the way of other plans, and some things had to take a back seat for a while. Rest assured, I'm not going anywhere for a long time! School is over now, which means I have more time to write! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's been in the works for a while. This will be a 2 part chapter, and im planning on releasing the next one in a few days!_

 **In Love With A Master**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Co-Author: Brandon66**

# # #

Coruscant. Seat of the Galactic Senate, home of the Jedi Temple, capital of the Republic and the busiest city in the galaxy. Each second, billions (possibly trillions) of people go about their day, zooming past each other in breakneck traffic among the crowded skyline, or pushing past one another in the lower levels. As the sun rose and shed its light on the planet, some retreated into darkness, while others emerged to conduct their business.

Obi-Wan had spent the night in Master Yoda's quarters, meditating as he let the aged Jedi's calming energies wash away his fear and pain. The two sat in complete silence, each hyper-aware of even the slightest shift in position. Yoda was the first to break the silence, quietly lifting himself off his rounded cushion and opening the blinds. Obi-Wan opened his eyes, the bright light of the Coruscanti sun blinding him momentarily. He stood up, gathering his robe and belt as Yoda went to make tea.

"Thank you, Master Yoda. I feel at ease now."

"Thank me, do not. No need, there is."

They bowed to each other, as Obi-Wan quietly slipped out the door. The temple was abuzz with activity, as Jedi of all ages walked to and fro, some idly strolling while others walked with determination. Obi-Wan took his time, casually walking back to his dorm and greeting his friends along the way. As he was walking past the Mess Hall, he saw Master Luminara eating breakfast with her padawan. Remembering Yoda's advice, he turned, and approached Luminara's table.

"Good Morning Master Luminara, Padawan Offee," he said, bowing before the pair.

"Good to see you as well, Master Kenobi. Care to join us?"

He nodded, taking a seat next to Barriss. "Luminara," he said, "Could we speak in private? I need to discuss something of a more… personal nature with you."

"Of course. We can go to my quarters."

The two got up from the table, saying goodbye to the padawan before walking back to her dorm.

"You seemed troubled, Obi-Wan."

"I… Master Yoda recommended I see you, for your reputation as a great healer."

"I see," she said, stepping through the door and beckoning him to follow. Her room was modestly furnished, with a couch, meditation cushions, a few decorations, and a kitchen. She sat on the couch, patting the spot next to her.

Taking his hands, she looked into his eyes. "Tell me what troubles you."

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Luminara, do you remember when Anakin and I were assigned to protect Duchess Satine of Mandalore from the Death Watch terrorists?"

"I do. If I can recall, the Duchess' funeral was held not long after."

He nodded, his energy focused on remaining calm and keeping his composure. "The Duchess and I… We were old friends. I first met her when I was still a padawan under Master Qui Gon, when I was barely a teenager. We grew close, and…" he began to choke up, "and we… we cared for each other deeply. Not long before her passing, I… I was going to finally tell her what I had wanted to say since the day we met. I wanted her to know I loved her."

Obi-Wan was quivering, barely able to hold back the tears. He let go of Luminara, reaching for his back pocket. "I wanted to give her this." He pulled out a small black box, opening it to reveal a ornately crafted silver ring, adorned with a small jewel on top and intricate patterns weaving down the sides. "I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life."

Luminara pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him tenderly as he cried onto her shoulder. She held him for a few minutes, until he was able to regain some of his composure. She took his hands again, waiting for him to continue.

"Ever since her death… I've been having dreams… nightmares really. I see what could've been; My proposing to her, our wedding, and even our child. But every time, the dream will change, distort, into something evil. Satine will… begin to accuse me of letting her die, and the dream turns into a hellish nightmare. One time, I even had a vision of her death; I saw Pre Vizla's darksaber pierce her chest, watched as she fell to the ground. Anakin took her in his arms, and said "Tell Obi-Wan I'm sorry, and I've always loved him."

His sobbing began anew, and once again Luminara wrapped him in her embrace. "Obi-Wan, I will do everything I can to help you get through this."

She held him for a while, months of pent-up grief flowing like a waterfall. When he was finally able to calm down, he let go of her and sat up on the couch.

"How can I move past this, Luminara?" He asked, his voice still trembling.

"We can start with meditation to clear your mind. Unfortunately, I can only do so much; part of your healing requires you coming to terms with her death, and moving on."

"H-how can I move on from the l-l-love of my life?"

"She will always be a part of you, but you must stop clinging to the past. Only when you have accepted that she is in the past, can you move on. Who knows? Maybe you'll fall in love with somebody else."

He nodded, although from his expression she could tell he wasn't convinced.

"Obi-Wan, I think what you need is a break. I'll talk to Master Yoda, and see if we can arrange for you and I to go on a vacation. A change of scenery might help clear your head."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Great! I'll go talk to Master Yoda right now!"

# # #

It was midday on Alderaan, and all was silent in the Skywalker house. Ahsoka had gone out with her friends the night before, and wasn't supposed to be home until later that evening. R2 was busily tinkering with the speeder in the garage, moving cautiously so as to avoid waking up the sleeping couple upstairs.

Anakin's arm was draped lazily across Shaak Ti's waist, his head resting on her shoulder. The windows were open, and a cool breeze rustled the curtains.

Anakin awoke to the sound of chirping birds, and the warmth of Alderaan's sun on his back. He carefully picked up his arm, pulling up the covers to protect his wife's now exposed shoulder. Sitting up, he looked out the window onto the balcony. Birds had gathered along the railing, filling the air with melodious conversations. Looking back at his sleeping wife, he smiled. _Another beautiful day in paradise_ , he thought to himself. He stood up, stretching and looking at the clock. It was past noon, and he had nothing to do today. He walked around the bed, bending forward to plant a kiss on Shaak Ti's rosy red cheek. She stirred, her arms moving about as if looking for Anakin. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at her husband.

"Good morning, my love."

She smiled, flipping onto her back and stretching her arms.

Their tranquility of the moment was broken by a sharp beeping from across the room. Anakin went to investigate, and saw the bright blue glow of his holo-communicator. Activating it, he was greeted by his former master.

"Anakin! How are you?" He asked.

Anakin yawned. "Great, Obi-Wan. What's going on?"

"It's a bit of a long story. Want to make a cup of caf before I start?" Anakin shook his head. "I'll cut to the point. I haven't been dealing with Satine's death very well. I tried to push down the grief, ignore it, but that's only made it worse. I think that's been the cause of my nightmares as of late. I spoke to Master Yoda, and he convinced me to go see Master Unduli, since she's a well-trained healer. She suggested I take a vacation, and try to clear my head. So, I'm going to Spira to relax beachside, and since Alderaan's on the way, I thought Luminara and I could stop by and say hello?"

"Of course, Obi-Wan. We always enjoy your company."

"Splendid! I should be arriving in 6 hours." 

"We'll see you then!"

The holo-image of Obi-Wan disappeared, and the communicator shut down. Shaak Ti was sitting up now, her back leaning against the wall.

"Ani, if Obi-Wan and Luminara are coming, then we need to get the house ready. Can you help me out of bed?"

He grabbed her arm, gently lifting as she stood up. She walked over to the shower, beckoning for Anakin to follow. The shower door slid open, closing behind them with a hiss.

The hot water felt good on her skin. She scrubbed her upper body, paying special attention to her breasts. Since she became pregnant, they had increased in size, and were now extra sensitive. Anakin stood behind her, his hands gently massaging them. He could hear soft moans as he kneaded her swollen breasts.

" _Oh Ani_ ," she mumbled.

She turned to face him, her eyes locking with his. "I love you, Anakin Skywalker. I don't tell you enough, how lucky I am to have met you."

He smiled. "I'm the lucky one; I wouldn't be here if you hadn't saved me."

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. Her hands slid up to the back of his head, turning her head to plant a kiss on his lips. Their tongues met, performing an elaborate dance with each other as they both moaned.

# # #

It had been over an hour since he called Anakin, and Obi-Wan was eager to see his best friend, former apprentice, and brother.

The Jedi are family to one another. He had looked up to his former master, Qui Gon Jinn, as a father, but with Anakin, it was something more. They had spent so much time together, saved each other on countless occasions, and shared some of the biggest moments of their lives. Anakin was more than his brother; he was a part of Obi-Wan.

As Obi-Wan reminisced on his adventures with Anakin, Luminara was waking up from a nap.

"Obi-Wan," she said with a yawn, "how long until we arrive on Spira?"

"We'll probably be there in 18 hours or so, but we have to make a stop along the way."

She looked confused. "What do you mean? Where are we stopping?"

"I told Anakin that we'd be passing by Alderaan on the way, and he invited us to dinner."

"I see. It will be nice to see Master Ti again."

He nodded, waving his hand at the empty chair beside him. "We still have about 5 hours to go, if you'd care to keep me company."

"I'd like that," she said with a small grin. She sat down, swiveling her chair to face Obi-Wan.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Anakin and I rescued the Chancellor?"

"I don't believe so," she said.

"I'll try not to brag; Anakin's much better at it than I." She chuckled.

"We were in our fighters, making our way to the Separatist flagship…"

He talked excitedly, waving his hands as Luminara listened intently, mesmerized by his story.

"We're stuck in a hallway, enclosed by force fields on either side. I ask Anakin, 'now what?' and he says 'not to worry; R2 can handle it.' Moments later, who comes charging out a side door screaming? R2, followed by a super battle droid. They led us to the bridge, just in time for our reunion with Grievous…"

Luminara grinned, the thought of Obi-Wan, Anakin and Grievous talking like old friends playing in her mind.

"I'll let Anakin tell you the rest when we land, he remembers it better than I."

"I can't wait." She said.

# # #

Anakin was cleaning the speeder when he heard the low rumble of a shuttle as it touched down in the field nearby. Turning around, he could see Obi-Wan and Master Unduli coming down the ramp and making their way towards the house.

"Honey, Obi-Wan's here!" He said, excited to see his friend for the first time in months. Shaak Ti came rushing down the stairs, having changed into a new floral dress Ahsoka had recently given her as a gift. Anakin opened the front door, waving to the pair of Jedi as they walked towards the door.

Obi-Wan greeted Anakin with a tight hug. "It's good to see you, my old friend."

"Same here, Obi-Wan. Won't you and Master Unduli join us inside?"

They followed Anakin into the kitchen, where Shaak Ti had already set the table.

"I hope you like steak!" She yelled from the kitchen.

"Shaak Ti has been craving meat lately. The Doctors said it's natural for Togrutans during pregnancy." Luminara nodded.

"Don't worry, there will be plenty of vegetables as well, even if my wife doesn't eat any tonight."

Anakin stepped into the kitchen, kissing Shaak Ti as he pulled out wine glasses from the cabinet.

"Red or white, love?" he asked.

"Go grab that nice bottle of red Bail gave us. And don't pour me any! Doctor's orders."

Anakin went to the pantry, his eyes searching the many shelves until he found the bottle tucked into one of the recesses of their small wine rack.

He took it back to the kitchen, using the force to gently pull out the cork and pour them each a glass.

Obi-Wan pulled out a chair for Luminara before sitting down himself. Three wine glasses came floating from the kitchen, placing themselves down in front of each place setting, followed by a plate of steaks and a dish of vegetables.

Anakin held Shaak Ti's hand as she walked slowly towards the table, her other hand clutching her belly. He helped her into the chair, taking his seat next to her. She sat across from Luminara, while Obi-Wan faced Anakin.

"Shaak Ti, this looks wonderful," Luminara said. Anakin served them each a steak, carefully lifting Shaak Ti's onto her plate.

"I'd have some more vegetables with you, but for the past couple months I've been craving red meat… vegetables make me feel sick."

"It's perfectly fine," Obi-Wan said diplomatically. "Whatever keeps the baby healthy!"

"Anakin," Luminara began, "Obi-Wan was telling me earlier the story of when you and he rescued the chancellor."

"I didn't think I could do it justice, since you tell it so well," Obi-Wan said.

"Well, there's not much to tell," he said, "but did Obi-Wan tell you what happened after we were captured and taken to the bridge?"

"No, that's where he stopped his story."

"Well, it's a great story…"

Just as Obi-Wan had on the ship earlier, Anakin enthusiastically waved his hands around as he told the fantastic tale of their heroism.

"So Grievous jumps out into space, and we're almost sucked out with him until the blast shields close. And mind you, the ship was still taking fire from a republic cruiser."

Shaak Ti's chin rested on her hands as she listened to her husband. "Obi-Wan, the chancellor, R2 and I were on the bridge. Obi-Wan turns to me and asks, 'can you fly a cruiser like this?'"

"He turns to me and says, 'you mean do I know how to land what's left of this thing?'" Obi-Wan interjected. "...So Anakin looks at me and says very calmly 'We lost something.""

Shaak Ti began laughing, followed by Luminara. Anakin was chuckling. "Obi-Wan, calm as ever, looks at me and says "Not to worry, we're still flying half a ship," he said, followed by another round of laughter.

"...I'm amazed we came out in one piece. Another one of Anakin's amazing crash landings."

"We always come out alright from those, don't we?" Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan.

"That's true," he replied, "although not without costing extra for the taxpayers."

The rest of the night was filled with delicious food, hearty laughter and old friends catching up and telling stories.

By the time they had settled down, it was almost midnight. "Shaak Ti, thank you for making such a wonderful meal."

"My pleasure. I always enjoy the company of close friends."

"More than friends, my love - family."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, the grin wiped from his face. "Anakin, you're my brother, and I couldn't ask for a better one."

Shaak Ti was almost in tears. "That's beautiful, Obi-Wan." Luminara nodded. "The bond you two share is… unlike anything I've ever witnessed. Normally there is a very strong connection between Master and Apprentice… but this is much stronger." Anakin nodded in agreement. "I couldn't ask for anything, or anyone, who'd be a better brother than you."

He got up, giving Obi-Wan a big hug as the two stood by the table. They held each other for a few moments, before letting go. Shaak Ti exchanged a look with Luminara, before looking back at her husband. "Obi-Wan, why don't you and Luminara stay here for the night? It's late, and you both must be tired."

"Me, tired?" Obi-Wan asked. "Inconceivable. I would be honored to be a guest in your home."

"Great! Luminara, would you help me up the stairs? I'll go grab some extra pillows and a blanked for him. You can sleep in Ahsoka's bed, if you'd like."

"Of course, Shaak Ti."

Anakin has a mischievous look in his eye. "Love, I think Obi-Wan and I are going to be up for a while. Why don't you spend some time with Luminara? I'm sure it's been a while since the two of you have seen each other."

"That sounds like a great idea! I'm guessing you and Obi-Wan will be headed off somewhere?"

"Yep, but we'll be back in an hour or so. Bye!"

She waved as the two jedi walked out the garage door, followed by the sound of a speeder rushing off into the distance.

# # #

The speeder whizzed across the grassy plains, leaving a trail of dust as it zoomed towards town. "There's a little pub in town that I think you'll love!" Anakin yelled over the sound of the speeder.

"Can't wait!"

They parked outside, stepping off and walking in through the swinging doors. The lights were dim, with a bar on one side with several stools, and a small gathering of tables on the other side. In the back, a band was playing a familiar tune.

Anakin sat down at the bar. The bartender walked towards them. "What'll you have?" he asked.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Surprise me."

The bartender came back with two small glasses, each containing a mysterious, fuming liquid. "These are pretty strong, so don't complain to me later that I didn't warn you."

They each took one. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. "May this be the start of an amazing night with my brother." Their glasses met with a small _clink_. "Down the hatch!" he said, quickly downing the shot.

# # #

"...Training Barriss has been a most rewarding experience," Luminara said. "You should consider requesting a padawan."

"I'll think about it, but for now my focus is on what's in my tummy."

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_ Shaak Ti's wrist-comm was beeping on the table nearby.

"Hi Mrs. Skywalker, this is Reg, from the bar in town. Could you please come pick up your husband and his friend? I'm closing down for the night, and they're in no condition to drive."

Shaak Ti chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? Yes, I'll be right down to fetch them."

The comm went silent. "Luminara, would you drive?"

"Of course."

# # #

Both jedi were partially slumped over the bar, surrounded by a plethora of empty glasses. Luminara used the force to lift both Anakin and Obi-Wan, straining as she carefully dumped them into the back of the speeder car.

They sped home, the sound of the engine drowning out Obi-Wan's mumbling. Both he and Anakin lurched forward as the speeder came to a screeching halt.

Luminara looked at Shaak Ti with an embarrassed grin. "I haven't driven in a while."

She took Obi-Wan in her arms, carrying him inside, and carefully tucking him in on the couch before going to retrieve Anakin. Shaak Ti was already in bed upstairs, so she gently placed him next to his her.

Returning downstairs, she retired to the large chair by the couch. Obi-Wan was softly snoring. "Goodnight, Obi," she said, gently placing a kiss on his forehead before nodding off in her chair...

# # #

 _Thank you SO MUCH for bearing with me these past few months, I know I've been pretty inconsistent. I PROMISE I'll be better about releasing in the future!_

 _May the Force be with you, always!_


	18. Author's Note 8172019

**Author's Note 8/17/19**

 _To my dear fans,_

 _I apologize for my silence as of late. My grandpa passed away unexpectedly this past week, and it's turned my life upside down. On top of that, my mom is still doing chemo. They're going well, but it's still a difficult process. Not to fear though, I am still working on the next chapter. I know I've been very sporadic, but I hope everyone can understand if it takes me a little longer than expected to publish. Thank you all for reading the story up to this point; I really appreciate it. It's one of the things that's helped keep me going the past couple days. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or requests, feel free to message me, and I'll see what I can do to help you. Thank you again, you're the best fans for which I could've asked. May the force be with you all, always._

 _Yours truly,_

 _BubbaDogSlaw_


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